KOTA KINABALU: Liberal Democrative Party (LDP) has denied it is creating trouble within the Barisan Nasional (BN) and trying to topple the Chief Minister.
The party also denied harbouring any prejudice against Umno.
On the contrary, the party has been collaborating with Umno and other component parties of BN without problems for so long, LDP Youth Legal and Political Bureau chief Tsang Hieng Yee said in a statement yesterday.
Tsang, who is also LDP Supreme Council member, was responding to the criticisms against the party by BN component party leaders following the recent remarks made by its deputy president Chin Su Phin pertaining to the leadership of the state government.
“It is our party’s hope that LDP’s stance shall not be misunderstood in anyway whatsoever for the sake of racial unity, security and economic advancement of the state that belongs to all Sabahans,” Tsang said.
“We are a component party of BN now and will always be. LDP believes that in a multiracial society like Malaysia, there cannot be racial politics. It is a suicide. Racial politics cannot have any place in Malaysia and this racial harmony and unity can be achieved through BN,” he said.
“We are actually only addressing a matter or concern which has arisen recently among the community in Sabah, particularly the Chinese community and which has been made more critical after the results of the Sarawak state election,” said Tsang.
He said no one can deny the achievement of Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman.
“Indeed, we believe that Sabah is one of the fastest growing states in Malaysia. The Sabah in 10 years ago was so much different from the Sabah today. Sabahans’ spending power nowadays has surely greatly improved and is evident from the mushrooming of shopping outlets throughout the state,” he said.
“The value of properties in Sabah has come to such an unaffordable level but yet these properties are always sold out within reasonable time after launching. Sabah has definitely improved. No doubt about it. The only question is that why there are still people who are unhappy with the present state leadership despite all these advancements?”
Tsang said LDP had never questioned the capability of the Chief Minister.
“LDP was only highlighting its concern that the same wind of change in Sarawak would eventually blow over to Sabah, given the similarity of the current political scenario between Sarawak and Sabah,” he said.
According to him, LDP has been, at all times, making statements in good faith, aiming to respond to the voices of the community in Sabah.
He said: “If the BN government does not respond to these grievances of the community, particularly the Chinese community, the people will vote for the opposition.
“It is very imperative that the BN government shall not let what has happened in Sarawak to happen in Sabah because this will promote racial politics.
“There shall not be double standard. The government ought to also give effect to the voices of the minority groups. LDP cannot maintain silent despite seeing the dissatisfaction of the people.
“We represent the people and the people vote for us to be their representatives. At no costs we shall betray this trust given by the people to us, even at the costs of speaking the truth and hurting some quarters.
“Addressing the truth of a matter is always bitter but it still has to be done. LDP does not prejudice anybody. LDP is only addressing an issue which LDP gathered from the public.
“There may be people who disagree with us. We respect their disagreement as everybody is worth their own opinion. However, the existence of such disagreements shall not be taken as evidence of an ulterior motive on the part of our party. What we are doing is channeling the voices of the people and speaking on behalf of the people, albeit not all of them but most of them.
“What is the value of LDP’s existence if LDP merely maintains as “Yes Man” and does not stand up for the community of whom we represent?” he added.
Tsang stressed that nobody, including LDP, is trying to topple the office of the Chief Minister who has clearly proven his capability.
“We are, all this while, only speaking on behalf of the community of whom we represent for the benefit of BN. We have never forgotten that the eventual action of BN lies with our Prime Minister and in whatever circumstances, we shall respect the eventual decision of the Prime Minister.”