The July 21 Likas by-election is just two weeks away. The Likas seat was nullified as the result of the June 8 landmark judgment by judge Muhammad Kamil Awang.

Parti Keadilan Nasional has expressed its intention to contest. Whilst it is every party's democratic right to contest in an election. Keadilan should, for all intents and purpose, give face to Parti Bersatu Sabah, who, all this while, has been fighting the Barisan Nasional machinery in Sabah.

PBS has been highlighting the menace of illegal immigrants and phantom voters in Sabah since its inception in March 1985. The party has consistently raised the issues at every available opportunity, in the State Legislative Assembly and in Parliament. The party has lodged many police reports on the same. Senior officials of the party had met the Elections Commission on several occasions on the existence of phantom voters in the electoral rolls. Despite all that, there has been no solutions in sight.

Allegations of phantom voters reached boiling point in the March 1999 state elections which went on despite pleas and howls by PBS to the relevant authorities to cleanse the electoral roll before the election could be held.

The losing PBS filed several election petitions in court alleging that tens of thousands of non-citizens were allowed to vote in the election. Miraculously the Likas petition stood out, and the landmark judgment by justice Muhammad Kamil was announced to the public on June 8.

The outcome of this decision is courtesy of the courageous Judge Muhammad Kamil and the hard work put in by PBS, especially its Likas candidate, Dr EL Chong who has been tireless in fighting for this epic court battle. He spent countless hours gathering evidence for this case, of course, not forgetting contributions of his learned counsels and numerous people who helped him gratis .

Since its inception, PBS has been under tremendous pressure from the BN. Many of its supporters had been arrested under the draconian ISA. The president himself had been hauled to court for corruption charges. The ensuing court battle lasted for several years, taking so much of his precious time, which could have been utilised for planning and implementation of development projects.

Notwithstanding this, PBS has been consistent and has never been derelict in fighting for a cause and the values it cherishes so much, namely state rights, human dignity, justice, democracy and civil liberties. PBS has never been afraid to speak on these issue.

Taking into account all these, it behoves to all and sundry, to let the PBS put up its candidate in Likas. PBS has all its machinery in place here. PBS knows the turf well enough.

Dr EL Chong has gone through the political mills. He has shown his commitment to the party. He more or less abandons his lucrative surgical practice for a cause dear to his and Sabahans' hearts, that is, towards a Sabah that is peaceful, with its people of various races and creed, living in harmony together. He is doing this, as he said, because he cares for the future generations.

Therefore, Dr EL Chong should be the PBS' candidate for the Likas seat. BA members should refrain from contesting as this could favour the BN. This is crucial to achieve unity of purpose. The BA could be of tremendous help to PBS by supporting its man.

Given that the wind of change is blowing in favour of the opposition, Dr EL Chong could be the winner with a cliffhanger margin.