LDP eyes 40 seats with Kah Kiat comeback

KOTA KINABALU: Former Barisan Nasional (BN) component party, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), aspires to be reckoned as the “third political force” in Sabah as the party is set to contest at least 40 state seats in the upcoming snap election.

Besides in Chinese-majority seats, LDP will also field candidates in ethnically mixed seats and bumiputera seats.

Most notably, the party’s life honorary president cum former chief minister Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat will be making a political comeback in the snap election.

LDP has also recruited high-calibre senior retired civil servants to strengthen its line-up of candidates.

Founded in 1989, the 31-year-old party joined BN in 1990 and had had won one parliamentary seat and three state seats at its peak.

Chong, former president of LDP, had served as the chief minister of Sabah for two years under the rotation system.

In the 14th General Election (GE14), LDP contested one parliamentary seat and four state seats under the BN ticket. The party was defeated in all seats due to the strong pro-opposition sentiment. LDP subsequently withdrew from the BN coalition soon after the GE14 and had remained an opposition party since.

For the past two and a half years, Datuk Chin Su Phin, the incumbent deputy president took on the role as acting president, had been working on recruiting young blood to rejuvenate the party at the supreme council and divisional levels.

In the coming state election, LDP is poised to contest at least 40 state seats under its own logo.

It was learned that the party seeks to be reckoned as the “third force” aside from the ruling party and opposition bloc.

The party is currently working on recruiting heavyweights, including senior retired civil servants, Kadazan and Muslim leaders to form a strong line-up to stand in Chinese-majority, ethnically mixed and bumiputera state seats.

Chong, most notably, will be fighting alongside Chin in the snap polls.

Sources in the party have said that the duo might stand in the state seats in Kota Kinabalu area.

When contacted, Chin confirmed that the party would contest in the state election.

However, he declined to reveal details as work was still ongoing.

Chin said LDP would contest under the banner of a “third force” to offer the people another option.

The post LDP eyes 40 seats with Kah Kiat comeback appeared first on Borneo Post Online.

from Borneo Post Online https://bit.ly/3a1tibd
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