Ex-LDP president says no hard feelings over removal

Free Malaysia Today — VK Liew (seated third from left) and former LDP members at the press conference following the closed-door meeting.

KOTA KINABALU:

Former LDP president VK Liew has described the leadership tussle which culminated in his sacking as a bitter episode but maintains he bears no grudges over the incident.

The former deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department said the initiative to remove him started about three months after his defeat in the Sandakan parliamentary seat in the 13th general election (GE13).

Without naming those involved, he said the rival faction continued its efforts despite the decision by the LDP Supreme Council which forbids any contest for the top leadership.

“A leadership crisis ensued, and it leaves a bad taste in the mouths of many party members to this day,” he said after a closed-door meeting with about 200 former LDP members in Sabah’s Sandakan district yesterday.

Liew, who took over as LDP president from Chong Kah Kiat in 2006, led the party to victory in GE12 in 2008, winning all four seats the party was allocated, including his Sandakan seat.

In May 2013, however, LDP managed to retain only three seats – the Karamunting, Merotai and Tanjong Kapor state seats – which were won by Charles O Pang, Pang Nyuk Ming and current party president Teo Chee Kang.

Liew lost Sandakan by 1,088 votes in a straight fight with DAP’s Stephen Wong while Chin Shu Ying lost in the Likas state constituency where LDP stood for the first time.

“Little did I know that less than 100 days into my defeat of the Sandakan parliamentary seat, a move to remove me as president began,” he said.

When the dust settled, Teo was named president while Liew was suspended from the party. Liew said 13 divisional chairmen were also suspended until last year since 2014.

“(But) what had happened, happened. We all have to move on in our political journey. Like the old Chinese saying, ‘a good horse will not eat the same grass again’.

“I wish to put on record here that none of us bear any ill feelings towards anyone. I can only wish them all the best in their political endeavours.”

Liew said it was an easy decision to leave LDP for members affected by the internal tussle as they were not able to support the present leadership “that has deviated from its principles and lost its direction”.

“Since the leadership crisis in 2013, there were many members who continued to follow me and they have been loyal to me. I am eternally grateful to all of them.

“Some have been with LDP for a long time and I do not want to let them wander aimlessly in their political endeavours,” he said, adding that many of them had been with LDP since its inception in 1989.

He said he had explained his political direction to the former LDP members in the meeting and also talked about his new role in Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan).

“It has become necessary for me to explain to the public about my recent appointment as Warisan’s permanent chairman by party president Shafie Apdal,” Liew said.

“Together with my deputy, Hasbollah Taha, we are pleased and delighted to accept this appointment.”

He said the chairman and deputy are tasked with the party’s administration, finances and membership, adding that they could also assist the president in the selection of candidates for the general election.

Shafie recently announced Liew’s appointment as the permanent chairman and that of former PBS youth chief Jack Nointin who is now Warisan’s information chief.

The 200-odd former LDP members are expected to follow Liew’s footsteps in joining Warisan.