Sabah deputy CM quits LDP

Sep 1, 2010: Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) vice president Peter Pang today quit the party, amid rumours that the party will leave the BN coalition.

He has also “offered” to quit his government positions, which includes the post of deputy chief minister of Sabah.

Pang (right) told reporters in Kota Kinabalu this morning that his resignation stemmed from the party leader's claim that LDP could no longer work with Chief Minister Musa Aman.

Saying that "the only thing left is to gracefully leave the party", Pang said his resignation letter, addressed to LDP president Liew Vui Keong, was delivered to the party's headquarters by his political secretary this morning.

Despite being without a party, he said, he still considered himself a BN assemblyperson for the Karamunting state constituency.

"I understand that my departure from LDP may reset my position in the government. What I will certainly do is to offer to step down, but shall continue to serve under Datuk Seri Musa Aman's leadership, as a BN representative.

"As my ultimate intention is to serve the people, I shall request the chief minister to guide me accordingly," Pang said, adding that he planned to meet Musa later today.

In a Bernama report, the teary-eyed Pang described the decision to quit the party as "painful" and added at an emotional press conference today that it would allow him to "at least keep the little sanity that I have”.

Musa and LDP leaders have been embroiled in a war of words after the latter brought up its grievances during a state BN meeting last week over the state government's refusal to allow the erection of the Mazu deity statue in Kudat.

Pang had said he was not at the Sabah BN meeting and was not consulted on the purported move against Musa.

'LDP to remain loyal to BN'

"If I had been consulted, I would have suggested that we leave it, for the larger interest of the people, to see peace and stability for the BN government... to ensure progress," he added.

LDP deputy president Chin Su Phin was reported to have said that the party could no longer work with Musa, but that it remained loyal to BN.

Following Chin's statement, Sabah Umno liaison deputy chief Salleh Said alleged that the LDP was colluding with certain quarters to topple Musa.

However, LDP president Liew Vui Keong denied that the party would jump ship.

"There is no such speculation. I am very much a BN man, and pledge my loyalty to the BN under (Prime Minister) Najib (Abdul Razak)'s leadership," he said when contacted.

In a statement later today, Liew expected a few more party members to join Pang in exit and wishes them well.

“Although I very much like him to stay on board to fly the flagship for the party, he obviously has other palns that do not sync with us,” he said in a text message to reporters.

“I had also met up with the prime minister today to brief him on various issues confronting the party as well as the people of Sabah. The premier promised to look into the issues and address them.”

Pang may join Gerakan

On Sunday, Liew, who is deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department, said he was prepared to meet Musa over the LDP's stand.

Meanwhile, The Star reported that Najib said Pang had told him that he would not leave Barisan and intended to join Gerakan.

The animosity between Musa (right) and the LDP leadership has been an open secret, going as far back as 2007 when the party was still led by former Chief Minister Chong Kah Kiat.

It all stemmed from the controversial dumping of construction material off Sipadan island, which destroyed some five percent of the corals surrounding the world-renowned dive site and sparked an international uproar.

Musa blamed the state wildlife rangers for not doing their job in monitoring the activities of the contractor, who was believed to have been engaged by the state government to construct a RM5 million resthouse on Sipadan.

The wildlife department comes under the purview of the state tourism, environment and culture ministry, which was at that time headed by Chong, who was also Sabah deputy chief minister.

Full-scale battle of words

Chong, in turn, denied Musa's charge, countering the claim by saying that his ministry never approved the contentious project.

What was seen as a spat between senior politicians then escalated to a full-scale battle of words.

Chong, clearly angered by Musa for passing the blame on his ministry, promptly resigned in protest as tourism minister and said at a press conference later that he "helped put him (Musa) up, and I can bring him down".

Musa responded by raising a stink over the construction of the Mazu Goddess of the Sea statue in Kudat, which is Chong's pet project.

By this time, Chong had already relinquished his position as LDP president but continued his rivalry with Musa, albeit indirectly.

LDP has consistently questioned Musa's leadership of the state BN, to which Sabah Umno responded by demanding the LDP "return" its Merotai seat to Umno for being "ungrateful".

Source: Malaysiakini