LDP criticised for leadership change call

As expected several Sabah Barisan Nasional leaders turned on the Liberal Democratic Party for painting a bleak picture of the coalition's future in Sabah as well as calling for a change in leadership on Wednesday.

The party stands accused of sending the wrong signals to the people and confusing them with recurrent open criticisms of the state leadership.

"Those who claim that something is amiss with the BN state leadership probably have a hidden agenda," said Sabah BN secretary Abdul Rahman Dahlan (right) on LDP Deputy President Chin Su Phin's take on Sabah politics on Wednesday. "Such views are misplaced and untrue."

He was among the first from Sabah BN to respond to Chin's rebuttal to Malacca Chief Minister Mohd Ali Rustam's confident declaration that the opposition could not win over Sabah.

Rahman, the Umno Kota Belud MP, declared that there are no major issues in Sabah regarding the BN leadership "as far as the people are concerned".

Waxing lyrical over ties

He claimed that the state BN had good ties with the federal leadership, all communities were well-represented in the state line-up and it had chalked up a good track record in managing the economy.

Millions of ringgit has also been allocated by the state government to independent Chinese schools, churches and temples, added Rahman.

"The once ailing state reserves are now very healthy," he said. "The State Finance Ministry was even recently awarded the three-star rating by the Rating Association of Malaysia."

The Sabah BN Back Benchers Club (BNBBC) dismissed Chin's statement as "clearly reflecting self-interest rather than the agenda of the people".

BNBBC chairman Rubin Balang pledged full support for Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman's leadership and that of Putrajaya.

Sabah BN Youth Secretary Mohamad Alamin refuted Chin's statement that visiting West Malaysian leaders never meet the grassroots in Sabah. He also stated that the federal government will spend RM 857 million under its current budget to build 500km of rural and 316km of village roads in Sabah, RM537 million to ensure better electricity supplies and RM825 million for piped water to rural areas.

Gerakan, one of the two Sabah BN component parties targeted by the LDP, thinks that Chin has gone overboard with his criticism of the state leadership.

"It is totally inappropriate for a senior leader of LDP to resort to such a negative outburst," said Gerakan Sabah Youth Chief Chang Shui Kiong.

"LDP is conducting itself more and more like the opposition in Sabah," he said.

LDP stirs unease in allies

Chang raised the unease of the other component parties with the LDP, which was reportedly over-represented in the state line-up through two relatively junior leaders.

His comments were directed at Peter Pang En Yin, the deputy chief minister and Assistant Minister of Infrastructure Development Pang Yuk Ming.

The Gerakan is not the only party criticised by the LDP.

Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) had recently been castigated publicly by LDP for monopolising Chinese positions in the BN previously held by Sapp (Sabah Progressive Party).

Sapp pulled out from the BN in 2008.

PBS Supreme Council member Chin Tek Ming appealed to the LDP to co-operate with the State BN and not make waves with its constant criticisms of the state leadership.

"Instead of criticising the coalition in the media, LDP leaders should advise their members to go down to the grassroots to serve the people," said Tek Ming. "We don't agree with the call to the Prime Minister to replace leaders in the state leadership."

Other Sabah BN component parties were not immediately available for comment on Chin's stand on the direction of Sabah BN.

courtesy of Malaysiakini