‘Musa regime must reform’

LDP will not kowtow to Sabah Barisan Nasional's Musa Aman.

KOTA KINABALU: Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which is being crucified for being vocal, is sticking to its guns demanding that the state administration under Chief Minister Musa Aman must reform.

Party president VK Liew said issues raised during the annual general meeting (AGM) at its 26 divisions in the state were the views of the people and not merely that of the party alone.

He said the state government cannot ignore the voices of the people as times had changed and the political era of today demanded that the government listen to citizens.

“Sometimes these issues are picked up by the divisional leaders and raised up for the government to take action,” he said when met after the joint-AGM for LDP Kapayan and LDP Moyog divisions here Sunday.

The two divisions were the last to hold their AGMs. Liew is also LDP Kapayan chief.

Both divisions repeated the issues that were previously raised by the other divisions.

He said the LDP’s divisions began to hold their AGMs in July and many issues concerning the people and the government were raised by the divisional chairmen and others without fear or favour.

He said many of them spoke on illegal immigrants, illegal workers, unemployment in the country, the regional imbalances between East and West Malaysia, poverty, rising living costs and petro money.

He said other issues which were also brought to light were the imposition of the foreign workers levy and the ‘little Napoleons’ in the government who were causing havoc in places like Kudat.

He also said the grassroots leaders had expressed concern at the arbitrary stoppage of the construction of the Mazu statue by the state government and the injustices against the Mazu foundation chairman and its members.

Clear conscience

Also on the list of grouses were the Musa-linked money laundering case and many other corruption cases in the country.

“This is an important progress in the development of democracy where the voices of the people must be translated and be heard by the government.

“The first task Najib Tun Razak did when he took over as prime minister, if we still recall, was to state that ‘the era of the government knows it all’ has ended.

“It is the voices of the people that matter. That is “People First, Performance Now” the rest become secondary, ” he said.

Liew said that LDP’s vocal stand on these issues has made many quarters “extremely jittery and to some point paranoid”.

“But our consciences are clear and we will continue to speak up when the government crosses the line and when it fails to deliver its promises to the people.

“We will continue to become the conscience of the people and of the nation and we will continue to speak up to remind the government of its lapses.

“We will continue to play an active role within the coalition and engage the government on issues of conscience that touch or break the heart of the people, and we will continue to promote worthy cause,” he said.

Liew who is also a deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department said many of the statements issued by LDP in the past few weeks were quick to be countered by criticisms from several quarters.

But, as far as he was concerned the quick response to the issues raised by LDP was positive.

“We are saying the right things … we are progressing in the right direction,” he said.

Different battlefield

Asked later if there was any development in the money laundering case, Liew said he had answered in the parliament recently that the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) was investigating the matter and that several personalities had been called up to facilitate investigation.

“They are pursuing it so we will leave it to MACC, an independent body to do the investigation,” he said.

As for the seat-allocations, he said it would be high time for it to be discussed after the prime minister had announced the general election.

“This have to be discussed with the Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman soon,” he said.

Liew reiterated that the battlefield in the coming general election had changed.

“We no longer can afford to fight yesterday’s war. What we have achieved previously has now become part of history.

“We must now work together and be united in our front to fight tomorrow’s war. We can walk with our head held high because we have nothing to fear,” he said.

He also said that while LDP had lost an assemblyman (Peter Pang who left the party and joined Gerakan), the party had acquired “another YB that is Senator Chin Su Phin, our deputy president”.

Among those present were LDP Moyog chief cum vice-president Lim Ming Ho, secretary general Teo Chee Kang, Youth Chief, Chin Su Ying, Wanita Chief, Nancy Lim, publicity officer Albert Kok and divisional leaders.