KOTA KINABALU: Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) deputy president, Senator Datuk Chin Su Phin, has announced that Api-Api and Moyog divisions will be supporting Tanjong Kapor division chairman, former party secretary general, Datuk Teo Chee Kang, to contest the party president post in the forthcoming party election in October.
Chin, who is also Api-Api division chairman, said, the decision was done after much consideration and consultations with the party grassroots members.
“I also wish to announce that I will accept the nomination to contest the deputy president post,” he said at a press conference called by himself, LDP deputy secretary general Ho Jia Lit and Teo here yesterday.
Chin acknowledged that the supreme council has passed a resolution in support of incumbent party president Datuk Liew Vui Keong and himself remaining as the president and deputy president of LDP.
However, Chin said, the voices of the grassroots and the divisions’ delegates remained as the final consideration.
“Our decision today is based on the voices of the majority of LDP members,” Chin reiterated.
Present at the press conference were 27 of the 35 supreme council members and 17 out of 29 division chairmen.
“Another few supreme council members and division chairmen have also expressed their support but were unable to attend today’s press conference due to other commitments,” he explained.
Chin said the decision was not an easy one, but nonetheless a decision that must be made in the best interest of the party and party members.
Rather than point fingers at other people, Chin said, the president should reflect upon himself why so many of the party divisions support a contest for the president post.
“His action yesterday (Liew announced the sacking of Teo and suspension of Women movement chief Nancy Lim on Tuesday) only serve to further vindicate the voices of the grassroots. He must realize that the root cause of the recent events is he himself and not any other persons, be it inside or outside the party. We wish him well and hope he will make a wise decision,” Chin said.
To date, 15 out of 31 divisions have pledged their support for Teo to run for party president.