SANDAKAN: The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is now going through a second phase of its transformation after the first one that started in 2006, according to its president, Datuk VK Liew.
“No doubt, when the time comes, the next echelon of leaders will take shape. As head of the LDP, I have to be responsible for the next echelon. It is a responsibility and I have to prepare to groom our young leaders…there are no two ways about it,” he said.
Liew, who was met after attending Hari Raya open houses in Kampung Sim Sim here yesterday, said that LDP, which was formed in 1989, has been around for 24 years and it has seen its share of ups and downs in politics.
“So now I am given a ‘time-out’ as a member of parliament but that does not mean I will stop my political struggles for my party, the state and country. There are simply so many things to do for my party members as well as for the people in Sabah. I guess you will see me around in politics for many more years to come,” the former Sandakan MP said.
According to the former Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, his service centre in Sandakan will continue to operate and is expected to re-commence in about two months’ time at a new location which is now under renovation.
This is because many of the constituents are still seeking me out to air their grievances and seek my assistance to resolve issues that they have, he said.
Liew added that LDP is having its party elections this year and currently, its divisions are holding their respective annual general meetings (AGM).
“I am still heading LDP and this year we are having our party’s election as well just like many other BN component parties. At this moment, we are going through our divisional annual general meetings and in Sandakan, two divisions, namely, Elopura and Tg Papat have held their AGMs.
“During the Tg Papat AGM last month, I was given the mandate to take over the chairmanship and it now has a completely new line-up. At the same time, at the Elopura division AGM, I relinquished the chairmanship there which I had held for five years. The Elopura delegates gave the mandate to Charlie Pang Su Pin (Karamunting assemblyman) to lead the Elopura Division. It also has a new line-up,” Liew said.
When asked to comment on LDP deputy president Datuk Chin Su Phin’s recent statement on the political scenario in Malaysia, Liew said Chin had made a valid assessment of the political situation in the country after the 13th general election which saw a number of voters had voted against BN.
Liew is of the opinion that Chin was not wrong in his views when he said that some voters were blindsided by the opposition’s tactics during polling day and voted based on sentiments rather than rationality.
“The rebuttal to my deputy from certain opposition-elected representatives and a certain community movement is mere self-serving propagation to incite the feelings of the people against the ruling BN government which was given the mandate to rule by the majority of people.
“Now after more than three months since 505, the people are awakened and rightly felt they have been short-changed. The opposition’s cries for change did not happen at all. In fact, BN retained Putrajaya and took back Kedah and retained Perak that was initially won by PR in 12th general election in 2008.
“Overall, Pakatan Rakyat did badly because they lost two states from five states and only retained three states, namely Penang, Kelantan and Selangor. In 2008, they had five states and later became four when Perak went to BN two years later,” he said.
Liew stressed that PR simply failed in their campaign to capture Putrajaya.
“So, how can you say my deputy hasn’t been right in his political assessment about the voting trend of the people? Looking back, people now realize they have been taken in by the opposition propaganda and became sentimental.
“Now, they see that a lot of what the opposition said were merely for fishing votes and nothing concrete that can bring about change. They also realize that those stories circulating in the Internet and through SMSes about BN were mere calculated lies to deceive them into voting them.”
“Right now, what the people see in the opposition YBs are simply ‘hot air bubbles’. They are not able to provide real services to the people. They are not able to solve the people’s problems. They are not able to bring about real development in their respective constituencies.”
“So, you cannot say the people have not been short-changed by their lip services,” Liew stressed.