Pang cautioned on ‘price’ in LDP contest – Chin

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Chin Su Phin

Liew

Pang

KOTA KINABALU: The supreme council of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has passed a resolution for the top two posts in the party to be uncontested in the forthcoming general meeting in October.

However, the party would not stop members from nominating persons to contest for the top two party posts.

LDP deputy president Senator Datuk Chin Su Phin said the supreme council has passed a resolution for the top two party posts to be uncontested in the general meeting and he hoped that party members would respect the council’s decision.

However, Chin said, the party’s constitution stipulates that members could not be prohibited from nominating a person to contest because it was a democratic process.

“If we have members who nominate (a person to contest for the top two posts), we would have to accept it because it is a democratic process,” Chin said, when contacted to comment on Assistant Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment cum LDP vice president Datuk Pang Yuk Ming’s announcement of his intention to contest for the top party post recently.

Chin revealed that Pang had discussed his desire to contest with him in private.

“I’ve told him that if he wished to contest, I won’t stop him. But I advised him that no matter who contested for the presidential post, there might be a price to pay for doing so,” he said.

When asked what the ‘price’ could be, he said it might be that the member could be stripped off his or her current post and be reverted to becoming a normal party member.

Chin said party president Datuk Liew Vui Keong’s defeat in the 13th general election (GE13) and his LDP presidential post being challenged were two different issues.

He said Liew was not the only (BN) leader who lost to the opposition’s wind of change that dominated the GE13.

On whether Pang’s decision to challenge for the top post might affect party unity, Chin believed that LDP members were mature enough to be cool-headed on this aspect.

He said party members have shown their ability to analyze the situation and decide on the direction of the party since the time when LDP founder Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat’s presidential post was challenged by Datuk Kong Hong Ming (who is now with Parti Keadilan Rakyat).

“It will not affect (unity of the party). Contest is good if it is carried out fairly,” Chin stressed.

Meanwhile, local Chinese dailies yesterday reported that Liew has reminded Pang of the ‘gentleman’s agreement’ among supreme council members so as not to tarnish the latter’s credibility and integrity.

In an interview with See Hua Daily News on Wednesday, Liew said that the LDP supreme council had passed a resolution last month for the top two party posts to be uncontested for the sake of unity.

He said Pang and the other supreme council members were present when the resolution was passed, but Pang announced his wish to vie for the presidential post merely a month later.

“Any person has the right and freedom to choose which post to vie for, but he must consider the aims of the party, as well as his own credibility and integrity,” Liew said, adding that Pang should not renege out of arrogance or external influence.

“If he (Pang) reneges on this matter, I believe the LDP supreme council and party members will question his leadership,” Liew warned.

Liew continued to say that the supreme council has given him the nod to retain the leadership, and that he has planned to nurture a new batch of party leaders besides leading the party towards transformation.

Liew stressed that there should not be any disunity within the party.

On the other hand, Liew disclosed that he has heard that Pang was seeking to contest for a higher party post, but felt that he should not be impatient.

“Maybe Pang saw that I am no longer a member of parliament and wanted to take over as party leader. He should not just consider what is happening at the present. I have discussed my future plans with the supreme council and they agreed to my views,” he said.

He said the incumbent LDP supreme council members, including Pang, have ventured into politics since the 1990s, and have battled alongside each other for 24 years.

“We are very close, and I think we should maintain this relationship and not ruin the unity of the party because of impatience,” Liew maintained.