KOTA KINABALU: Former Sabah Barisan Nasional component party Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has closed the door on the possibility of working with Umno to face the Sandakan parliamentary seat by-election.
Its president, Chin Su Phin, said the party had left the former ruling coalition following the May 9 polls last year and could no longer work with Umno.
“Why should we go back on that? Whether we contest the seat or not, we are not going to cooperate with Umno as a matter of principle,” he told FMT.
Sabah Umno chief Bung Moktar Radin earlier said he had met leaders from former BN component parties, namely PBS and LDP, on the fielding of a candidate to contest the Sandakan MP seat.
The Kinabatangan MP said Umno would not be vying for the seat but would back a candidate from the opposition side to take on an opponent from the ruling side to ensure a one-versus-one contest.
Chin denied meeting Bung or any other Sabah opposition party. He also said there were no plans to meet any of them.
Chin said the party had also not decided whether to work with any party regarding the impending by-election.
LDP left BN on May 11 last year, the second Sabah BN component party to leave the coalition after Upko. LDP lost all the four state seats and one parliamentary seat it contested under BN.
Meanwhile, a PBS leader, who declined to be named, said the party was aware of Bung’s proposal.
The leader said the PBS hierarchy will meet next week to deliberate on the matter.
The Sandakan seat fell vacant following the sudden death of incumbent and Sabah DAP chief Stephen Wong Tien Fatt.
Wong, the Sabah health and people’s well-being minister, died shortly after taking part in a hiking activity, at the Tambaig Adventure Park in Putatan near here on Thursday.
The 64-year-old was believed to have suffered a heart attack. - FMT
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