DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng today credited Sabah Chief Minister Mohd Shafie Apdal as a key factor in his party's victory in yesterday's Sandakan by-election.

"Sandakan voters gave their full confidence and support for the 'Sabah Bossku' Shafie, who campaigned with us house to house for days, and spoke at many ceramah, even for 45 minutes in the pouring rain without an umbrella for the finale.

"Many Sandakan voters, including Malays and Muslims, were touched by his spirit to serve, develop, and bring change to make Sabah better, more prosperous and cleaner for all, regardless of race and religion," Lim said in a statement today.

Last night, DAP's Vivian Wong retained the Sandakan seat with an 11,521 vote majority, against PBS' Linda Tsen and three independent candidates.

Tsen, who was backed by BN, only managed to secure 4,491 votes.

In his statement, Lim expressed his confidence that with Shafie leading the state, DAP can deliver on its promises to the people of Sandakan.

He also categorised the win as not just endorsement for Shafie, but also for Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and the united forces of Warisan and Pakatan Harapan.

The DAP leader added that it also showed that voters want people-centric development, and rejected the corruption purportedly embodied by Umno Sabah chief Bung Moktar Radin and former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak.