Pang to join Gerakan, says PM

Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Peter Pang En Yin, who quit LDP today after it had declared it could no longer work with Chief Minister Musa Aman, plans to join Gerakan, said Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

He said Pang had quit LDP not because he was unhappy with the BN as he had stated his intention to remain in the BN family.

"I was informed (of the matter) and he (Pang) plans to apply to become a member of Gerakan.

"I am in discussion with the LDP president (Liew Vui Keong) and also Musa Aman on the matter," he told reporters after receiving a book containing Merdeka Day wishes from the students of SK Bukit Damansara in Putrajaya.

Also present were Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and director-general of education Alimuddin Mohd Dom.

Pang (left)announced today he was quitting the LDP and offered to relinquish his government posts because he did not agree with the LDP stand that it could no longer work with Musa, who is also chairperson of the Sabah BN.

In Kota Kinabalu, Musa (right) said he would consult BN component party leaders on the next course of action following Pang's decision to quit the LDP.

"I have already informed prime minister on this new development.

"It is truly unfortunate that Pang has to resort to resigning from his own party.

"He has been a loyal supporter of the BN all this while, as well as a dedicated and hardworking minister," he said in a statement.

Musa explained that Pang had on numerous occasions expressed his dissatisfaction over certain developments within the LDP.

He said he had, however, advised Pang not to leave the party in the hope that certain quarters in the LDP would realise that they all needed to work together and have mutual respect for the overall good of the Sabah BN.

- Bernama