Datuk Peter Pang En Yin - Sabah's Deputy Chief Minister cum Liberal Democratic Party Vice President
At 11 am today on 1st September 2010, Sabah's Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Peter Pang En Yin, 50, called for an unexpected Press Conference at his office at the 10th floor, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Wisma MUIS, Kota Kinabalu.
They were more than 20 media personells from the print and electronic media, waiting for him.
Peter Pang joked "wahhh... so many people".. and calmy walked to his chair.
Then at approximately 11.08 am, he started his press conference, reading from a prepared statement with a sad voice and sad facial expressions.
The statement reads :
"This is to inform all of you that i have resigned from Liberal Democratic Party with immediate effect. My letter addresses to the President, Datuk V.K. Liew was delivered to the Party's Headquarters by my political secretary this morning.
This is all about the political development in regards to publicly declared that they can no longer work with the Chief Minister of Sabah who is also the Sabah Barisan Nasional Chairman. The only thing left is to gracefully leave the party.
I understand that my departure from LDP may reset my position in the Government, what i will certainly do is to offer to step down from it and shall continue to serve under Sabah Barisan Nasional Chairman, YAB Datuk Seri Musa Aman's leadership as a Barisan Nasional Wakil Rakyat.
As my ultimate political intention is to serve the rakyat, i shall request YAB Datuk Seri Musa Man to guide me accordingly.
This decision to resign from LDP is no doubt painful but at least will keep the little sanity that i have."
After finishing reading the statement, Peter Pang En Yin had to endure a barrage of questions from the media. Among the questions asked were have you inform the Chief Minister, The LDP President and your supporters about this.?? Also, are you joining any political parties?? What is your feeling now??
Peter Pang answers were brief - he said he felt sad but relieved of having to leave LDP, which he joined actively in 2005 and he has not decided which political parties that he is joining after leaving LDP.
Peter Pang contested for the first time ever in an election during the March 2008 general Election and he won the state seat for Karamunting, near Sandakan, in the east coast of Sabah. Coincidently Sandakan's Member of Parliament is Peter Pang's boss - the LDP President, Datuk VK Liew who is also Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department.
According to Peter, he will meet with the Chief Minister later this afternoon pertaining to his decision to leave LDP.
LDP - a Sabah based Barisan Nasional components party was on the news after the controversial statement by the party's Deputy President Datuk Chin Su Phin that the party can no longer work with the Sabah Chief Minister who is also the Sabah Barisan Nasional Chairman.
This follows after the Sabah BN meeting at the Pan Pacific Sutera on 24 August 2010, attended by all 8 of Sabah BN component parties.
The meeting, held closed door was also attended by LDP's Deputy President Datuk Chin Su Phin as well as LDP's Secretary General - YB Teo Chee Kang - the Tanjung Kapor assemblyman.
In that meeting, Datuk Chin reportedly raised the controversial Mazu issue in Kudat which was issued a stop-work order by the Kudat District Council sometimes in 2006. This has led to the resignation of then LDP President and then Deputy Chief Minister - Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat in early 2007.
Datuk Seri Musa Aman explained the issue including the Federal Court decision on that matter to Datuk Chin during that meeting, but the LDP leaders present were reportedly not satisfied and all of them left during the press conference at the end of the meeting.
Several days later, Datuk Chin issued a shocking announcement, Chin was quoted as saying that the party could no longer work with Musa but would continue to support and work together with Umno in the ruling coalition, and expressed full support for the Prime Minister and his 1Malaysia vision.
That statement by Chin prompted fiery responses from other Sabah BN leaders including UMNO leaders.
Datuk Seri Salleh Tun Said Keruak
On Sunday, 29th August 2010, it was reported in the media that Sabah Umno Deputy Chairman Datuk Salleh Tun Said claimed certain Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leaders are in cahoots with certain quarters to topple Chief Minister and State Barisan Nasional (BN) Chairman Datuk Seri Musa Aman.
He warned that Sabah BN would not be intimidated by any attempt to hold the coalition at ransom by mounting a veiled threat on its Chairman-cum-Chief Minister.
"We are prepared to face the worst challenge," he said in a statement, Saturday.
Salleh, a former Chief Minister, also questioned the rationale behind LDP Deputy President Datuk Chin Su Phin's outrage on Tuesday, claiming that it was part of an ongoing plot to oust Musa.
He was also convinced that there were "hidden hands" behind it.
"We believe there are people behind it and we know what they are up to, but we in Sabah BN will not allow them to achieve their selfish agenda by mounting a personal attack on Musa.
"I have reliably learnt that certain LDP leaders are in cahoots with certain quarters to topple Musa, and that they even plan to request Prime Minister-cum-BN Chairman Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to have Musa removed," he said.
However, Salleh believed not all LDP leaders concurred with Chin's statement that LDP could no longer work with Musa.
"We believe the majority of LDP leaders are rational and wise enough to differentiate what is right and what is not, especially when the issues raised by Chin concerned other people's personal interest.
"It would be a different case if the issues raised were of public interest," Salleh said.
As such, he advised LDP leaders not to be easily manipulated by others for their selfish agenda.
Salleh is also confident that all other State BN component parties will continue to rally behind Musa, saying the latter had proven his leadership in steering the State since he became Chief Minister in 2003.
Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak
Meanwhile in Putrajaya today, 1st September 2010, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Peter Pang En Yin, who quit the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), has expressed his interest to join Gerakan.
“I was informed that he intends to apply to become a Gerakan member. I am discussing this matter with LDP president (Datuk Liew Vui Keong) and Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman.
“He did not mean to go against Barisan Nasional (BN). He is still within the BN family,” he told a press conference at his office today after receiving a hand-made Merdeka Day message book from schoolchildren of SK Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur.
Sabah Chief Minister / Sabah BN Chairman Datuk Seri Musa Aman
Meanwhile in Kota Kinabalu today 1st September 2010, Sabah's Chief Minister and Sabah BN Chairman Datuk Seri Musa Aman said in a statement that he has already informed the Prime Minister on this new development.
Musa said it is truly unfortunate that Datuk Peter has to resort to resigning from his own party. Musa described Peter Pang as a loyal supporter of the BN all this while and has been a dedicated and hardworking state cabinet minister.
Musa stated that Peter has on numerous occasions expressed his dissatisfaction over certain developments within the LDP.
However Musa advised him no to leave the party in the hopes that certain quarters in the LDP would realize that they need to work together and have mutual respect for the Sabah BN.
Musa said he will consult with the BN component parties on the next course of action.
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