Backdoor politics of Gerakan

Crossovers within BN ‘unethical’, says LDP


Peninsular based Gerakan's brazen bid to lure members from other Barisan Nasional component parties in Sabah to boost its membership is irking LDP.

KOTA KINABALU: Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) president VK Liew is disappointed that the Barisan Nasional (BN) spirit once upheld by its Sabah partners has melted away.



The rapid switch of members from one BN political party to another which is more closely aligned to Chief Minister Musa Aman, who is also the state BN chairman, has set tongues wagging and provoked Liew to chastise them.

He said BN component party members who had chosen to align themselves with other parties in the ruling coalition had failed to understand the BN spirit.

He acknowledged that some from his own party had decided to join fellow BN component party Gerakan.

Gerakan has taken on the unlikely role of spoiler by accepting all-comers.

It recently gained a backdoor-entry into mainstream politics, despite not contesting in the last election, pushing LDP to a corner.

“I saw in the newspapers some faces from LDP who purportedly have left the party to join Gerakan.

“I am disappointed because it is as though they do not know that it will only reflect badly on their image.

“This is not what the leadership wants since it will not have any bearings on the BN membership statistics at all,” said Liew  when asked to comment on the issue of pinching members from among BN component parties in the state.

Liew, who is also a Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, said the BN leadership wanted the component parties to strive to increase membership by recruiting those who have yet to join any party or those from the oppositions.

“But getting so-called new members from another component party will not increase the BN membership,” he said.

Unethical trend

Indirectly criticising Musa and Gerakan, Liew noted that the pinching of members had been ongoing for quite some time and said “this is so unethical”.

“It will only mislead the leadership that the particular component managed to boost their membership only to know that their new members are in fact from another component,” he said.

He challenged Gerakan, who have openly enticed LDP and other BN party members to ditch their present parties and join them, to sign up at least a quarter million young members who are still not registered as voters to prove their popularity.

Meanwhile, Liew admitted that LDP had submitted several names to the Prime Minister to be considered for a senatorship after reports emerged that LDP deputy president Chin Su Phin would be appointed as one under the federal quota.

“We are still waiting and of course the decision is the prerogative of the Prime Minister,” he said.

By Charlie Rudai

Carrot and Stick approach to LDP

LDP's Chin to be made Senator?

Kota Kinabalu: Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Deputy President Datuk Chin Su Phin is expected to be appointed a Senator, it was reliably learnt.

Sources, however, told Daily Express that Chin's impending appointment, if it materialises, would need the consent of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. His appointment may be in the wake of LDP's dissatisfaction after the party was left without a State Cabinet member following a recent reshuffle.

The party's former representative in the Cabinet, Datuk Peter Pang recently joined fellow BN component party Gerakan after being "partyless" for months. But he had all the time remained a Minister.

LDP then described the Chief Minister's move as not being in the BN spirit.

There are two ways in which a Member of the Upper House of Parliament (Dewan Negara) can be appointed.

One is through nomination by the State Legislative Assembly whereby each State is allowed to nominate two. The other is through direct appointment by the King after being recommended by the Prime Minister.

The last time LDP had a Senator was many years ago in Datin Naomi Chong, the former chief of the party's women wing.

It is not known if Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman had a hand in Chin's appointment but the Chief Minister did say after the LDP's outburst that the party would be "compensated" through other means.

Meanwhile, the sources added that in the event of a Federal Cabinet reshuffle, LDP President Datuk VK Liew stands a good chance of being promoted to a full Minister. He is currently a Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of, among other things, judicial matters. Liew is a lawyer.

The sources said by appointing Chin and possibly Liew later on, the Prime Minister hopes to kill two birds with one stone. The first is to pacify LDP.

The sources pointed out that with the next nationwide general election expected any time, the BN chairman cannot afford to see in-fighting amongst its coalition partners.

Secondly, by making Liew a full Federal Minister, Najib hopes to woo back some Chinese votes to the BN in the light of in-road gains by the Opposition in the recent Sarawak election. In the last Sabah election in 2008, BN component member PBS lost a parliamentary seat and a State seat, narrowly winning another.

If Liew's appointment materialises, it will be the second time LDP has a full Minister in the Federal Cabinet, the first being Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat, then a Senator, in the early and mid-1990s before he came back to Sabah to join the State Cabinet.

LDP blasts Gerakan Au for Greed

SANDAKAN: The Labeling of Liberal Democraric party (LDP) as termites by Elopura assemblyman Au Kam Wah Is uncalled for, said Albert Kok, the political secretary to Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk VK Liew.

"The statement by Au, who ditched SAPP in 2008 and joined Gerakan later, alleging LDP to clamour for positions could not be more true about himself and the party he just joined.


It is widely known that he together with Raymond Tan abandoned SAPP so that they both can keep their positions in the government Au should therefore look at himself in the mirror and his own 'new party' before he talked about others,” Kok said.

He said despite losing in the last election in 2008 and Gerakan almost wiped out, Koh Tsu Koon made himself available as a senator and accepted the offer to be a federal minister, Even his previous predecessor, Tun Lim Keng Yaik, was reported to have advised Koh against accepting but he could not care less and instead accepted the position with open arms.

"As one of the more senior members in BN, when the State Government offer to retain Peter Pang, who had quit LDP to join Gerakan, Koh should be wise enough not to accept the offer as there was already another new Gerakan member namely Raymond Tan in the State Cabinet.

"However, knowing it would draw the ire and condemnation of the people in Sabah, and knowing that Gerakan has not contested in Sabah in the last general election, Koh gladly accepted it. Is this not reflection of their own greed to clamour for governnent’s positions?" Kok said in a statement yesterday.

He added that Peter Pang had only been in Gerakan for less than two days but he continued to be retained as Minister of Youth and Sport under Gerakan.

Au is relatively a more 'senior' member in Gerakan than Peter Pang, an assemblyman for Elopura earlier before even Peter Pang knew what politics was and more experienced then Peter Pang starting from his time in SAPP, he said.

"It is odd that he was not preferred by his new boss to be in the recent cabinet reshuffle. Was it because he was offered to continue to hold the positions of chairman in other government agencies in Sabah?

"If Au is a man of principle at all and subscribe to the BN's principle, he should be the first one to tell his new found party leader that it was against BN s principle to accept Peter Pang who quit LDP to join another BN component party namely Gerakan,” he said.

But Au kept quiet and gladly welcomed Peter Pang, unashamedly, because by doing so he knows Gerakan has now another cabinet position in the government. That speaks volume of Au’s personality, said Kok.

He said before criticising others, Au should put his new house in order first.

"Au should tell his new found leader to be changed first and take responsibility for the losses suffered by his new party in the last election.

"Ong Ka Ting, despite having won his parliamentary seat in 2008, took responsibility for the losses MCA suffered in the election. Ong resigned as MCA president then and Ong Tee Keat took over before being taken over by Chua Soi Lek.

"It shows that at least Ong Ka Ting has principle and does not clamour for government position unlike some.

"We have seen MCA openly asking for the change of leadership in Sarawak following the recent election there. In fact many others have indicated the same sentiment.

"Does it mean that the BN government in Sarawak must also issue a show cause letter to all those who asked for the CM of Sarawak to go?

“In this regard, Au Kam Wah should tell his liaison chief in Sabah, Gordon Leong, to understand politics better and read what had happened,” he said.

Kok said if indeed there were any change of leadership required, Au should suggest changes in Gerakan’s central leadership and that include those in Sabah.

Source: BP

Kalabakan Umno Wants LDP Merotai Seat

TAWAU: Kalabakan Umno wants the Merotai state seat which now is represented by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to be returned to Umno at the next election.

Its chief Datuk Abdul Ghapur Salleh said Kalabakan Umno was making the demand because LDP leaders lately had been making press statements which were not line with the Barisan Nasional (BN) spirit.

"How can we trust LDP to contest the Merotai seat when they do not show respect for Umno and its leaders," he told reporters after chairing a Kalabakan Umno division meeting here Sunday.
He added that as a component party of the BN, LDP should raise any grievances it had with the state BN leadership and not resort to the media to attack state leaders.

"Although the LDP president (Datuk V.K Liew) has disavowed media statements made by his deputy (Datuk Chin Su Phin), Kalabakan Umno cannot accept this," stressed Ghapur, who is also the MP for Kalabakan.

-- BERNAMA

LDP fires salvo at ‘hypocritical’ Gerakan

The peninsular-based party is told to first look at themselves in the mirror before accusing others of clamouring for positions in the government.

KOTA KINABALU: After weeks of accusations and counter accusations between the oldest state BN coalition party, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and its BN partners, Sabah Gerakan leaders stand accused of being hypocritical for demanding a standard they have failed to live up to.
“Gerakan should first look at themselves in the mirror, before accusing others of clamouring for positions in the government,” LDP publicity chief Albert Kok said yesterday.

He slammed the recent statement by Sabah Gerakan leader cum Elopura assemblyman Au Kam Wah mocking LDP leaders for clamouring for positions in the government.

“This couldn’t be more true about himself and the party he just joined,” said Kok.

“It is widely known that he together with Raymond Tan abandoned SAPP so that they could both keep their positions in the government. Au Kam Wah should therefore look at himself in the mirror and his own ‘new party’ before he talks about others,” the LDP man said in a bitter rebuttal.

Kok pointed out that Gerakan leaders in Sabah should not be so bold as to start accusing others of low standards when their own chief, Koh Tsu Koon had eagerly accepted his appointment as a Senator in order to became a Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, despite losing his seat in last election which saw the party almost wiped out.

“Even his predecessor, Dr Lim Keng Yaik reportedly advised him against accepting (the appointments) but Koh couldn’t care less and accepted the position with open arms,” Kok said.

Greedy Koh
Kok also pointed out how Gerakan had eagerly wooed former LDP leader Peter Pang as another glaring example of Gerakan demanding for positions in the government.

He said that since Gerakan did not contest in Sabah in the last general election, the party should have been gracious enough not to accept more seats in the state cabinet as there was already another newly joined Gerakan member, namely Raymond Tan, in the state cabinet.

“Is this not reflection of their own greed for government positions?” he asked, while querying Au’s principles as well as his failure to advise his party chief that it was against BN policy to recruit a member from another BN party.

“Au kept quiet and gladly welcomed Peter Pang, unashamedly, because by doing so he knew Gerakan had got another cabinet position,” he said.

Kok also urged Au to tell Koh to take responsibility for the losses suffered by Gerakan in the last election in the same way former MCA chief Ong Ka Ting took responsibility for the losses it suffered in the 2008 general election, although he won his parliamentary seat.

“Ong resigned as MCA president then. It shows that at least Ong Ka Ting has principles and does not clamour for government positions unlike some,” he said.

By Queville To

LDP are like termites: Gerakan

Elopura Assemblyman Au Kam Wah urged the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leadership to stop behaving like termites whose gnawing at the State Barisan Nasional's structure may eventually cause the coalition's collapse, if left unchecked.

"This is precisely the attitude of the present LDP leadership who seem to have no qualms going all out to cause serious damage to the very house that houses them, in this case the Barisan Nasional," said Au.

He also said instead of calling for a change in the State Barisan Nasional leadership, it is LDP that should change some of its leaders.
"BN has never been a problem to LDP. Therefore the call for a change of leadership in State BN is simply outrageous and uncalled for.

What LDP must do is change some of its own leadership, have a face lift and move on," he said.

He also concurred with Gerakan Sabah Chairman Datuk Gordon Leong's call on the BN top leadership to seriously consider issuing a show cause letter and take necessary disciplinary action against the LDP leadership, if they continue undermining the integrity and stability of the BN coalition in the State.

Au noted that the LDP leadership had been attacking the State leadership ever since its former President-cum-former Chief Minister Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat had a fall-out with Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman over the Mazu statue issue.

Chong even proceeded to take the State Government to court in 2009, but it was later struck out by the Court of Appeal. He believed that Chong still has some influence on the LDP today.

According to him, all the previous and recent statements of the LDP leadership were uncalled for, baseless, malicious and clearly designed to undermine the integrity of Sabah BN.

He noted such criticisms consistently and clearly indicated that they were of personal interest.

"Their dissatisfaction was clearly due to not getting positions in the government which they desperately wanted. It was clearly a sour grape syndrome.

"Records show that they hardly bring up any significant issues that genuinely concerned the people. It's all about position, position and position.

"And as for its so-called most vocal leader Chin Su Phin, everyone in town knew that he's a contractor by profession, who has benefitted immensely."

He said BN's major victory in the Batu Sapi by-election last year was strong evidence that the current setup of Sabah BN under Musa's leadership, is strong and functioning well.

"Compared to the time when the LDP President was holding the CM post, Musa has given more funding to the Chinese community, especially for Chinese education. In fact, the huge difference in the amount would put Kah Kiat to shame. This is public knowledge.

"Moreover, when Musa was urged by the public to reconsider the setting up of a coal-fired power plant, he brought the issue to the State Cabinet and had it cancelled.

"However, when the public requested Kah Kiat to reduce gambling, he instead doubled the number of slot machines in Sabah and re-activated a 4D operation that had been cancelled.

"Perhaps the LDP leaders are also having selective memory losses, so bad that they need to be constantly reminded of their misdeeds in the past!" charged Au.

He thus urged the LDP leaderships not to attempt to cover up their own incompetence which led to the decline of the party, by blaming others.

He said such an attitude was not only irresponsible but giving the opposition an opportunity to undermine the BN.

He reminded that ever since the formation of LDP, the party had been losing some of their senior leaders, all of which were due to internal squabbles that were often linked to manipulations by individuals with selfish motives.

Source: Daily Express

LDP will not be Musa’s ‘yes man’

Sabah Barisan Nasional's whipping boy, LDP, says it's duty-bound to 'give effect' to the voices of the voters and cannot remain silent.

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which has come under much flak for its criticism of Chief Minister Musa Aman, has denied it was out to oust Musa.


“LDP was only highlighting its concern that the same wind of change in Sarawak would eventually blow over to Sabah, given the similarity of the current political scenarios between Sarawak and Sabah.

“We are not creating trouble with Barisan Nasional (BN) or trying to topple Musa,” LDP Youth legal and political bureau chief, Tsang Hieng Yee, said.

He said that as far as LDP is concerned, “they have at all times made statements in good faith”.

“If the BN government does not respond to these grievances of the community, particularly the Chinese community, the people will vote for the opposition.

“It is imperative that the BN government not let what happened in Sarawak to happen in Sabah because this will promote racial politics,” he said, adding that there should not be any “double standard”.

Tsang said that LDP was duty-bound to “give effect” to the voices of the minority groups.

“The people voted for us to be their representatives. We shall not betray their trust, even at the cost of speaking the truth and hurting some quarters,” he said.

“Addressing the truth of a matter is always bitter but it still has to be done. We are not prejudiced against anyone, ” he added.

Agreeing to disagree

Tsang said LDP was fully aware that there were people who disagreed with the party and was prepared to accept their views.

“We respect their views as everybody is entitled to their opinion,” he said.

“What is the value of LDP’s existence if it is merely a ‘Yes Man’,” said Tsang who is also a supreme council member.

He was responding to criticisms against the party following recent remarks made by its deputy president Chin Su Phin regarding Musa’s leadership.

“LDP’s stance should not be misunderstood in anyway whatsoever. We are a component party of BN now and will always be.

“LDP believes that in a multiracial society like Malaysia, there cannot be racial politics. It is suicide,” Tsang said, adding that Musa’s achievement and contribution to Sabah’s progress and developement in the last 10 years could not be denied.

Earlier this month, LDP president VK Liew said the party had no intention of remaining quiet despite being demoted to the sidelines by the Musa administration.

Much to the party’s shock, Musa dismissed LDP’s loyalty and seniority in the coalition and appointed Parti Bersatu Sabah’s (PBS) Dr Yee Moh Chai to be deputy chief minsiter.

Already holding a similar position is PBS president Joseph Pairin Kitingan.

Musa has no time for petty squabbles
Meanwhile Musa said he has only one thing to concentrate on at the moment – implementing development programmes for the people.

He said he would not engage in entertaining some quarters’ personal agenda which would only slow down the government’s work for the people.

“I do not wish to engage in petty squabbles. There is still a lot of work to be done in such a short period of time.

“But I thank all the support given to me. I just feel that entertaining such issues will not benefit the people,” he told reporters after his winding-up speech at the Sabah State Legislative Assembly meeting, here, today.

Musa was asked by reporters to react to Su Phin’s comment last week that the recent Sarawak state election results showed BN failure to realise the needs of the people, especially the Chinese community.

Musa also advised all state assemblymen to continue going down to the ground, and listen to the people’s problems and help solve them

Umno Sabah's Musa-Shafie rivalry

In an apparent show of support to battered Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman, UMNO flew a delegation of Umno community leaders from Semporna, home base of rival Datuk Shafie Apdal, to the State capital to pose witht the CM.

This has taken the Musa-Shafie feud to another level beyond the LDP-Musa spat.

Sabah Gerakan: ‘LDP not welcome in BN anymore’

Chinese-dominated Liberal Democratic Party, Sabah Barisan Nasional's oldest ally stands at a crossroad facing calls from its rivals within the coalition to quit following its public criticism of Chief Minister Musa Aman.

KOTA KINABALU: An all out war has been declared within the Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition under Chief Minister Musa Aman against the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

Gerakan Sabah is the latest BN coalition partner to have joined in the LDP-bashing spree following the senior coalition party’s outspoken criticism of the chief minister who is also the state BN chairman.

Gerakan Sabah chairman Gordon Leong urged Musa to seriously consider issuing a showcause letter and to take necessary disciplinary action against LDP for disrespect.

Leong in a statement issued here today said its fellow BN coalition member was undermining the integrity and stability of the State leadership.

Describing LDP’s criticism as “uncalled for childish behaviour that reflects their political immaturity and such an attitude is misleading the public,” he said LDP was not welcome in the BN any longer.

“Their constant uncalled for public outcries contradict themselves by not respecting our PM’s decision and strong support of the State BN leadership of Sabah, in particular Musa Haji Aman,” said Leong.

He rubbished the LDP leadership’s claim that they have been sidelined by the State BN leadership despite being a long standing component party of BN.

Leong pointed out that after the shock resignation of former LDP president Chong Kah Kiat as the Minister of Tourism and Environment,one of its leaders Liew Yun Fah was made the Minister of Youth and Sports only to be dropped by the LDP leadership at the following general election who later revoked of his membership.

Public outburst

He said after the 12th General Election, Peter Pang was appointed Minister of Youth and Sports and later appointed Deputy Chief Minister following the departure of SAPP from BN, while Pang Yuk Ming was appointed Assistant Minister of Infrastructure Development.

“Unfortunately, last September Pang quit LDP as he could not agree with the party’s public outburst that it could not work with the Chief Minister.

“Hence, no prize for answering the question “Who sidelined who?”.

“LDP should know full well that they cannot have their cake and eat it. One cannot help wondering  if LDP is with the opposition or with BN.
“We are especially puzzled when the DAP Sabah chairman Jimmy Wong voiced its support for LDP’s stand,” he added.
He suggested the LDP leadership should consider quitting the coalition if they really can no longer commit to the political struggles of BN.
“They should be brave enough to take the next course of action, which is to quit the coalition to prove that they can get and enjoy the support of the people,” he said.

“LDP should not cry foul and be a sour grape simply because their opinion differs from that the majority of the other BN component parties.

“After all we live in a democratic country. Let us be reminded that there is no room for personal grudges within the BN.

“The BN component parties should instead close ranks and concentrate on how to serve the rakyat diligently under the umbrella of BN so as to guarantee a landslide victory for BN in the coming general election,” he added.

Leong poured praise on Musa, who has favoured the peninsula-based party with key appointments in his cabinet, and said Gerakan would “continue to give its fullest unequivocal support for his capable and able leadership”.

Queville To

Leave BN, Umno chief tells LDP

With just two state and one parliamentary seats, party is not needed in the Sabah BN coalition, says an Umno leader.

KOTA KINABALU: The row between Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Sabah Umno has escalated to a point where an Umno leader has urged LDP to leave the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition.

Silam Umno chief, Nasrun Datu Mansur, said LDP should leave for “breaching the coalition’s sacred consensus spirit” with its relentless attacks on Chief Minister Musa Aman.


Nasrun said this in a hastily called press conference outside the State Legislative Assembly building yestyerday. According to sources, the local media have been “advised” not to publish the statement in view of the general election.

“There were orders from the chief minister’s department to kill the story,” the source said.

Nasrun, who is an assistant minister in the state cabinet, had allegedly said that the open attacks in the media by LDP on Musa had reached a boiling point.

“Personally, I feel this not good for the BN, especially with the general election coming. Under the circumstances, it is not fair for a component party to lash out at another component party leader,” said Nasrun.

He added that Sabah BN members should look at how peninsula-based BN parties behaved. “They never aired differences between them in the media but used the proper BN channel to air their grievances.”

“LDP should respect the prerogative of the chief minister on issues such as cabinet appointments,” he added, dismissing LDP’s arguments that the state BN leadership under Musa had whittled away at LDP’s powers in the state.

“Whatever decision that has been made must be accepted or even if it is not accepted, you should complain through the proper channel rather than using the media. We don’t discuss problems in the open,” said the Lahad Datu assemblyman.

The state government leadership under Musa has taken LDP to task for a statement by its deputy president Chin Su Phin, warning that Sabah would face the same scenario as Sarawak BN which suffered unprecedented losses in the recent state polls.

LDP not needed

Though Chin claimed he was speaking in his personal capacity and not for the party, LDP president VK Liew stepped in to support Chin for making a brave assessment of the Sarawak state election and the ramifications for Sabah.

Nasrun, however, said that based on the coalition principle, LDP should leave the BN if it wants to continue to air its views openly.

“It is unfair for them (LDP) to say they want to stay in BN but at the same time attack Musa,” he said, adding that “just like a husband and wife who can no longer stand each other. They should seek divorce”.

“Similarly, if LDP can no longer stand Musa as the Sabah BN chief and chief minister, it should part ways,” he said, adding that with just two state and one parliamentary seats, LDP is not needed.

“We have bigger parties like PBS that is more experienced and stronger, hence they deserve more seats as well as the others,” he said.

He said that he saluted PBS because it had left the BN a few years ago as it was unhappy with its leadership.
“We hope LDP will do the same. If you are not happy with the chief minister, then leave BN,” he said.

Citing Usno, Nasrun said if LDP was not happy with the state BN chief, it could follow in Usno’s footsteps in the 1970s when it was not a member of the Sabah BN but became a member of the federal BN.

He said as a component party, LDP’s attitude was unbecoming as it was going against the consensus spirit of the BN.

On whether Umno leaders in Sabah would be talking to the chief minister to call for disciplinary action against LDP, Nasrun said it could be the last resort.

“We try our best to ask LDP to tone down. What we are asking is for LDP to be sensible and be a gentleman. Be a gentleman like PBS… leave the BN,” he said.

By Charlie Rudai

LDP: State assembly speaker must remain neutral

It is not right for the speaker to make political statements, says Chin Su Phin


KOTA KINABALU: Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) deputy president Chin Su Phin took to task State Legislative Assembly Speaker Salleh Tun Said for making political statements in the media.

Salleh should learn from Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia and remain neutral, he said when commenting on Salleh’s recent statement in support of Chief Minister Musa Aman.

“Maybe it was not your (Salleh) own decision. If your ‘taiko’ wants to make a political statement, he should look for other leaders because it is inappropriate for the speaker of the state assembly to issue political statement,” said Chin.

On his views on the recent Sarawak state election, Chin said it was his personal observations.

“What’s wrong if I spoke about the reality of the Sarawak state election? he asked.

Chin reiterated that apart from the Chinese community, the Malays, the Kadazandusun community and even certain leaders from Umno and the civil servants were not satisfied with the way Musa has been handling things and problems affecting the BN and the people of Sabah.

“It’s not that I am creating problem within the BN. Today, Umno and its leaders are still our (LDP) good friend… I never complained about Umno. I merely commented on one particular Umno leader who is not accepted by certain quarters.

“They should not forget that even during Pak Lah’s (Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) time as prime minister, some Umno leaders had asked him to step down because of his weakness.

Wake up

During the Sarawak state election, even MCA was asking Abdul Taib Mahmud to step down as chief minister so that the BN would not be adversely affected during the election.

“Today, we see the same problems in Sabah and I don’t see any reason why we should not speak up. We can see that certain leaders are denying the reality and they only want a review after the election about the reason for BN’s loss,” he said in a statement.

Chin recounted that when Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) was in power, the party was as bold in voicing out problems affecting the state and the people.

“As members of the BN coalition, we should solve problems together . But, those leaders with government posts never want to speak up so I would like to advise fellow BN partners to wake up,” he said.

Chin said the Kadazandusun and Murut communities are now giving stronger support to Upko than the PBS, mainly due to the fact that Upko has now become more vocal than ever in speaking up for the people.

On Youth and Sports Minister Peter Pang’s recent accusation that he (Chin) was arrogant, Chin replied: “I don’t want to comment on his personality. Let the people judge him.”

“When Pang was in LDP I never commented about him and after he quit the party, I never commented about him either. If he is so good in politics, he should not have left LDP and crossed over to Gerakan.”

Chin assured fellow partners in the state BN that the LDP will not change its stand and will continue to soldier on until the problems within the coalition are solved.

“As part of the BN coalition, it is our responsibility to bring up whatever problems we have. We do not want Sabah to be the next Sarawak where the BN won in the state election but lost the Chinese seats ,” he said.

“We have a similar problem in Sabah and should the state BN government refuse to accept the changes, the people would go against us and it will be a loss to the BN,” he said.

Michael Kaung

LDP Hasut Cina Tolak BN?

Marsanan Marsadan

Kelicikan politik bekas pemimpin kanan LDP, Datuk Peter Pang menempelak hebat kenyataan bekas bossnya, Datuk Chin Su Phin berhubung analisisnya bahawa kepercayaan pengundi masyarakat Cina terhadap BN telah pudar sepertimana telah terbukti pada PRN ke-10 Sarawak baru-baru ini.

Apa yang dapat diamati berhubung kenyataan Peter Pang itu dapat disimpulkan bahawa Pang seakan-akan dalam keadaan tertekan dan serba salah jika tidak melakukan tindak balas kenyataan Chin itu.

Lagi pun, beliau (Pang) perlu meyakinkan BN dan Parti Gerakan sebuah Parti Semenanjung tempat baginya mendapat suaka politik untuk mengukuhkan kedudukannya dalam kabinet Sabah meskipun beliau terpaksa melupakan jasa dan budi LDP yang pernah menonjol dan mengangkatnya ke arena politik Sabah suatu ketika dulu.

Kelibat dan sikap Peter Pang yang sanggup meludah kepimpinan LDP serta para pengundinya di DUN Karamunting hanya kerana semata-mata pentingkan kebendaan dan jawatannya yang boleh diibaratkan sebagai ‘kacang lupakan kulit’.

Apakah Pang sudah terus melupakan jasa LDP kepadanya? Siapakah Pang hari ini jikalau bukan LDP yang mengangkatnya ke dalam arena politik?

Mungkin juga kenyataan Pang itu bukan dibuat secara berseorangan dan bukanlah niat sebenar Pang untuk berbuat kenyataan sedemikian tetapi lebih tepat lagi jika Pang disifatkan mungkin telah dipergunakan oleh pihak tertentu umpama perkakas ‘pelancar roket pemusnah kepada sasarannya’ khususnya mereka yang lebih marah kepada pemimpin LDP.

Berhubung dengan kenyataan Timbalan Presiden LDP, Datuk Chin Su Phin sebelum ini bahawa keputusan PRN ke-10 Sarawak telah menyaksikan undi masyarakat Cina lebih condong kepada pembangkang seperti DAP sekaligus memusnahkan kekuatan SUPP sebagai parti mewakili masyarakat Cina.

Justeru, kebimbangan Chin bahawa trend pengundi di Sarawak kemungkinan akan berlaku di Sabah pada PRU13 jika BN Sabah masih terus menerus mengamalkan corak pentadbiran yang kotor dan pilih kasih.

Sebaliknya, Chin bimbang gelagat songsang yang diamalkan UMNO-BN Sabah yang memberi ruang kepada Parti Gerakan yang berasal dari Semenanjung mendapat tempat dalam kabinet Sabah bersama UMNO akan dijadikan modal politik pembangkang untuk meraih sokongan daripada pengundi Cina pada PRU13 kelak.

Melihat kepada kenyataan Chin sebelum ini hanya meluahkan rasa kebimbangannya terhadap pengundi Cina akan mengikut jejak langkah rakan-rakan mereka di Sarawak dan pendapat Chin itu telah disalah tafsirkan Datuk Peter Pang pada pengertian di sebaliknya.

Press Statement of LDP Deputy President, Datuk Chin Su Phin

KOTA KINABALU: The outcome of the just concluded Sarawak state election showed the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition are still not fully aware of the needs of the masses, particularly the Chinese community, said Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) deputy president Datuk Chin Su Phin.

He said although Sarawak BN retained the two thirds majority by winning 55 of the 71 seats, but the votes received dropped to 55 per cent from 63 per cent the coalition garnered in the previous state election.

"This means that almost half of the popular votes went to the Opposition," said Chin when commenting on the April 16 Sarawak state polls yesterday.

“In the Chinese majority seats, about 80 per cent of the votes went to the Opposition, particularly the DAP which won 13 of the 19 seats that are mainly concentrated in the urban areas. Even the PKR won three seats of which one a predominantly Dayak area," he said in a statement.

According to Chin, both Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his Deputy Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin knew what the pressing issues were in Sarawak well before the election.

He reckoned that Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud should be thankful to Najib and Muhyiddin, and the entire Federal Cabinet members who went all out campaigining for the BN during the
election.

"It was the first time we saw both the PM and DPM campaigned together for one week; if not for the two leaders the result of the Sarawak state election would have been different and that BN might have failed to
get a two thirds majority."

On the shocking defeat of SUPP president Tan Sri George Chan, Chin contended that Chan knew of fact that the people there wanted Taib to step down as Chief Minister. Besides, both Najib and Muhyiddin were aware of the distinctive situation in Sarawak where the Chief Minister's party is in control of majority of the state seats and could do nothing at the moment if Taib chooses to keep the Chief Minister's post.

"As a result, SUPP became the victim. Had the issue of Sarawak's chief minister been settled before the election, SUPP would not have lost heavily. The Chief Minister's issues need to be look into seriously by the
Prime Minister," he said. Chin also suggested that Najib needs not have to rush in calling for a snap general election in view of the fact that about 80 per cent of the votes from the Chinese community were with the Opposition.

"If Taib chooses to remain as Chief Minister until next general election, I strongly believe that the BN will lose the predominantly Chinese and mixed areas to the Opposition," he said, adding that over in Sabah, the same leadership issue is adversely affecting the Sabah BN coalition.

"The Sarawak state election is not something that the BN should be proud of because 80 per cent of the Chinese votes were with the Opposition. 

Shouldn’t the BN not worry about this?," said Chin, adding that the Prime Minister should be brave enough to effect changes in the BN leadership in the two states.

Chin alleged that the Sabah BN leadership exploited powers and influences to gain the supports from the Chinese Chambers of Commence and religious bodies.

He lamented that it is sad to see that certain leaders from the Chinese Chambers of Commerce and religious bodies were involved in and making political statements to the media for their own agenda.

"The Prime Minister should re-look into the situation in Sabah and change the State BN leadership as soon as possible and not wait until the next general elections. We believe Sabah Umno have adequate leaders from
their own ranks to take over and effect the changes.

"Apart from the Chinese, many from the other communities are also unhappy with the present State BN leadership. We all see the problems in Sabah and I hope other BN component parties are brave enough to speak up.

"In the 2008 general election, Gerakan almost lost all the seats it contested due to political tsunami and today, SUPP was dealt with the same fate, so there is a great urgency to resolve the pressing BN leadership issue
in Sabah before the next general election comes," Chin cautioned.

He said the Chinese community in Sabah is not anti-BN government and in fact appreciated the government contributions including the allocation of financial grants to schools and religious bodies.

"I believe that issues such as concerning the Bible and illegal immigrants are not the reason for the people to vote for the Opposition in Sabah and Sarawak. The main reason is that they have lost confidence in the BN leadership of the state. 

Another reason is the Chinese dislike certain BN leaders who always make sensitive issues in Parliament and to the media.

"I concur with Umno youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin's statement that what we are facing now is the problem of leadership.

"The LDP will bring up issues affecting the BN and people of Sabah in the next BN supreme council meeting," Chin added.

LDP will not be a rubber-stamp in BN

Queville To

With head held up high Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) president VK Liew said party members will continue to speak out without fear or favour on state issues.

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Barisan Nasional’s whipping boys, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), has no intention of slinking away and licking its wounds after being demoted to the sidelines of the state government administration.

The party has vowed to carry on speaking out without fear on issues concerning the state at the risk of further punishment from Chief Minister Musa Aman.

“We will continue to hold our heads high in furtherance of our course for the people,” party president, VK Liew told a gathering at the official launch of its Liawan Division over the weekend.

“When someone speaks without fear or favour, there are bound to be certain quarters who do not feel comfortable. They will surely use all means to silence their dissenter.

“However, in order to defend the rights of the Sabahans and the power sharing spirits of BN, our party must speak and act without fear at all times,” said Liew.

He was speaking during a ceremony held in a hotel in Keningau to a crowd of more than 200 to inaugurate the newly-established division headed by a local businessman cum NGO leader, Pang Su Hin, who announced the entry of 320 new party members.

Liew, who is also deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, told the crowd that being honest in highlighting flaws in the state government’s actions does not mean that LDP is not in compliance with the BN spirit.

“It is our right and duty as a component party to sound the bell in the event of any departure from BN fundamental principles that has kept the coalition together for so long,” he said.

While conceding that LDP has not had an easy time since it’s inauguration in 1989, Liew said he was proud that party members remained united when faced with obstacles.

He cited as an example the recent “storm in a tea cup” for voicing its displeasure over the reshuffle in the state cabinet and the appointment of State Resource Development and Information Technology Minister Dr Yee Moh Chai, from fellow BN member, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), as the deputy chief minister.

Bitter quarrel

He claimed the bitter quarrel did not have any negative impact to the party at all.

“On the contrary, the party is winning more support from the people. Each time we weathered a storm, we grow in strength.

“Since LDP joined Barisan Nasional in 1991, the number of seats entrusted to the party has gradually increased over the past general elections. We will continue to claim for an even greater role in the coming election”, said Liew.

He urged party members who had not registered as voters to do so as soon as possible so that they can exercise their right to vote in the next general election which may be called in one year’s time.

Meanwhile, in his inaugural speech, Su Hin took a swipe at Musa for granting greater prominence to peninsula-based party, Gerakan, in his administration rather than a local party like LDP.

He said that while Gerakan had been given the political power in the state, Sabahans could show their support for local parties such as LDP, so that it could have more representation in the state administration.

Also present at the gathering were LDP senior leaders such as vice-president Pang Yuk Ming, secretary general Teo Chee Kang, organising secretary Yong Wui Chung and publicity chief Albert Kok.

LDP is still chafing following the promotion of Yee and a former LDP member, Peter Pang, to senior positions in the state cabinet at the expense of the oldest state BN member.

‘Musa cannot behave as a dictator in BN’

Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) has much to gain from the ouster of Sabah Barisan Nasional's most loyal ally, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

KOTA KINABALU:  Sabah Chief Minister Musa  Aman has once again come under criticism from within the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition for behaving like a dictator much like his predecessors who were overthrown.

Musa was reminded that he is obliged to look after the interest of all the BN component parties when exercising his prerogative power.


Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader VK Liew said the political situation in the state has evolved into an environment where no single party or chief minister can do as it or he pleases unlike in the past.

He said that unlike in the past where the state was ruled by a single political party such as Usno, Berjaya and PBS, the current state government is made up of component parties from BN since 1994.

He was replying to a recent statement by PBS president cum Deputy Chief Minister, Joseph Pairin Kitingan, that Musa had the prerogative power to choose who he pleases in his cabinet.

“In this respect, the power is not absolute and Pairin is therefore incorrect,” said Liew who is also the MP for Sandakan and a deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.

“It is no longer one party’s rule in Sabah, no thanks to Pairin,” Liew said taking a poke at Pairin who is seen as instrumental in allowing the state to be ruled by peninsular-based political parties.

Liew disclosed this to reporters at his monthly’s ‘Bringing Service To the People’ at the Medium cost Flat, Taman Recreation, Kg. Sim-Sim, in Sandakan, yesterday.

His party is troubled that Musa has moved to put his party out in the cold and used former state political powerhouse PBS to nullify its influence in the government.

“When exercising such prerogative power as the Chief Minister of Sabah and chairman of BN in Sabah, the only consideration should be that of the interest of BN,” Liew argued.

“The chief minister cannot be influenced by any extenuating circumstances, whether personal or otherwise.

“To do so, will make any decision bad and may lead to many dissatisfaction and criticisms as it now shows,” he said.

PBS to gain

LDP has been voicing out its dissatisfaction over the recent reshuffle of the state cabinet which saw the appointment of PBS deputy president cum State Resource Development and Information Technology Minister, Dr Yee Moh Chai as the Deputy Chief Minister, replacing Peter Pang En Yin who joined Gerakan on March 16.

Pang was a former LDP member who quit the party in September last year, in protest against LDP’s disagreement with Musa’s style of leadership and was rewarded by the chief minister who retained him in his cabinet.

Liew described Musa’s decision to appoint Yee as the Deputy Chief Minister as a “wrong choice” and a “bad precedent”, arguing that by convention, the chief minister should appoint three different component party representatives as his three deputy chief ministers, with each representing the three main communities in Sabah – the Kadazandusun, the Muslim Bumiputera and the Chinese.

Liew stressed that the only “reasonable” and “fair” solution was to appoint someone from LDP to the post, as it was the only local-based Chinese-dominated party within the state BN.

LDP under Musa has now been reduced to having only one representative in the state cabinet with its vice-president cum Merotai state assemblyman, Pang Yuk Ming. He is the Assistant Minister of Infrastructure Development.

Peter Pang’s departure also left LDP with only two elected state representatives namely Yuk Ming and its secretary-general, Teo Chee Kang who is the state assemblyman for Tanjung Kapor.

Talk is rife among political pundits in the state that if LDP continues to be hostile and critical of Musa, it may lose all its three remaining seats in the coming general election.

PBS stands to gain from the ouster of LDP.

Dictatorial approach

Moves by Musa has given the impression to many that the state government does not consider the Chinese vote as important as PBS’ non-Bumiputera electorate.

PBS has 12 state seats under its control while the other BN component parties such as Upko has six seats, Gerakan Sabah (3), and PBRS (1) and Sabah Umno control of 32 state seats.

According to analysts, Musa sees the political equation as an easy win for BN even without the LDP and the Chinese vote.

The political scenario under Musa appears to be taking a leaf out of the book of previous state governments with a dictatorial approach to governance much like Usno’s Mustapha Harun, Berjaya’s Harris Salleh and PBS’ Pairin, according to analysts.

Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad in his book ‘Doctor in the House’ remarked on this phenomenon in Sabah but added that all of them had subsequently paid the price by being removed from power. Queville To

LDP wants ‘status quo’ to remain

Joe Fernandez

Attempts by BN to make up for party's loss of positions in the state cabinet and government will not be workable, says its chief VK Liew

KOTA KINABALU: The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) said it will reject any attempts by Barisan Nasional (BN) to “compensate” it for the loss of positions in the state cabinet and government.

It’s also a sore point with LDP that peninsular-based political parties in the state now hold nine out of the 12 posts in the Sabah cabinet.

This stand comes in the wake of comments from Gerakan that other component parties like MCA should sacrifice some government posts for LDP. The reference is to chairmanships of GLCs, political secretaries and senators, among others.

“Chief Minister Musa Aman’s reasons for retaining Peter Pang as youth and sports minister and for handing the Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) another deputy chief minister’s post are absurd and illogical,” said LDP president VK Liew, a deputy minister in the PM’s Department.

The oldest component in the Sabah BN, the LDP has been reduced to zero representation in the state cabinet despite winning all its seats during the last general election.

Gerakan, meanwhile, which was not given any seats to contest, has two members in the state cabinet following defections from LDP and the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP).

Liew was explaining LDP’s position on the BN’s oft-cited power-sharing formula after hinting he was amenable to a  compromise. He had called for a reasonable and fair deal for the LDP after the party’s loss of the two posts.

Liew had the unanimous support of LDP leaders and the rank-and-file. The two controversial appointments, he said, upset the equilibrium in the BN and it Musa alone who has to bear the responsibilty for having acted against the interest of the BN.

“We are sure that the other components parties in the BN, except for the PBS and Gerakan, are jittery about the current situation. Musa has set a bad and dangerous precedent,” he said.

While acknowledging that the chief minister had prerogative powers to appoint members to the government, Liew said that such discretionary powers must be exercised judiciously.

Pang’s retention, said Liew, was absurd while PBS getting a second DCM post – at the expense of LDP – was illogical. The LDP sees itself as representing the Chinese community in Sabah BN after the 2008 pullout of SAPP.

Pang, a LDP deputy president, defected to Gerakan recently. Liew said tempers and emotions were running high in the party and any attempt to offer sweeteners to dilute the bitterness is an afterthought and not workable given the circumstances.

Losing more posts

There were those who felt that the party should review its position in the coalition, and Liew stopped short of saying that many wanted to quit the BN. “Needless to say, we will continue to serve the people of Sabah in the various capacities we have and act without fear or favour.”

He said members were able to rise above the rhetoric and look at the scenario objectively without letting “our hearts rule our heads”. This was unlike some people who, according to him, were personal.

“Despite the animosities with the leadership, our members did not let that cloud their better judgment,” said Liew. “This is in the interest of the people especially the Chinese community and the state.”

Information chief Albert Kok, meanwhile, demanded that the youth and sports portfolio retained by Pang be returned to LDP since it was not right for him to take the post along to Gerakan.

Youth chief, Chin Shu Ying, is fuming that the party has lost its posts in the state government and is losing other governments  posts.

“The Chief Minister listens to every single word each time we talk to him,” said Chin in acknowledging Musa’s call for talks. “After that (the talk) we end up losing even more posts.”

Chin charged that besides a full cabinet position and a DCM post, the LDP had lost the post of deputy speaker, a senate post and numerous chairmanships and deputy chairmanships in state GLCs and other government bodies. The party, added Chin, had been reduced to an assistant minister’s post in the state cabinet.

In a cynical take, Chin stressed that LDP should not blame Musa but instead “learn from Gerakan on how to master the skill of talking and begging and collecting rubbish from other parties”.

LDP, set up in 1989, won the Sandakan parliamentary seat during the 2008 general election and the state seats of Tanjung Kapor (Kudat), Merotai (Tawau) and Karamunting (Sandakan).

Karamunting state assemblyperson Pang had been partyless since leaving LDP in September last year. This followed LDP deputy president Chin Su Phin’s statement that the party could no longer work with Musa.

Former LDP president Chong Kah Kiat relinquished the DCM post prior to 2008 after a fallout with Musa over the abortive Mazu – Goddess of the Sea – statue project in Kudat.

His post was taken over by then SAPP deputy president Raymond Tan who relinquished it after joining Gerakan instead of following his party into the opposition.

Pang was then made DCM as LDP deputy president