From MCA to Upko, Kong now joins Harapan Rakyat
KOTA KINABALU: Upko Labuan advisor Datuk Seri Peter Kong has ditched the party and joined Parti Haparan Rakyat Sabah (Harapan Rakyat).
Party president Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin in announcing Kong’s entry into Parti Harapan Rakyat also disclosed that the latter had been appointed deputy president for the Chinese quota.
Kong, he said applied to join Parti Harapan Rakyat on April 28 and after discussing with the party’s supreme council and the party’s Labuan division chief, a majority of them agreed that the application be approved.
“Also the executive committee in a meeting on Friday night endorsed Kong’s appointment as Parti Harapan Rakyat deputy president for the Chinese quota,” Lajim told reporters at the party’s headquarters here, yesterday.
“We also agreed to give Kong an important role especially in the Chinese community in Sabah. Even though Parti Harapan Rakyat may not contest in Chinese majority areas, we have members, supporters from the Chinese community,” Lajim said.
He added that Kong’s role was not only to look after the Chinese community but also to find out the issues affecting them, especially in matters that they were not satisfied with what the government had done such as in education and business, among others.
“We have not discussed about the possibility of contesting in Chinese majority areas because in Gabungan Sabah we have member parties who have strong support from this community like SAPP.
“But if there is a need and based on the agreement of Gabungan members, we are ready to nominate a Chinese leader to contest in Chinese majority areas. We have discussed the matter with Gabungan members and Parti Haparan Rakyat will focus on Muslim Bumiputera and KDM areas and will support the candidates from Sapp or Star (if fielded) in Chinese majority areas,” Lajim who is also Klias assemblyman stressed.
Kong meanwhile said he joined Upko about five years ago and was with MCA before that.
To a question whether he had submitted his resignation letter to Upko headquarters, Kong said there was no need to do so as a person automatically would relinquish his membership with the previous party when he joins a new one.
When asked why he joined Parti Harapan Rakyat, Kong replied: “Because I am in awe of what the party president is doing and that is championing the rights of the people of Sabah.. To me a local based party is the right platform to fight for the rights of Sabah and Sabahans. We are Sabah for Sabahans,” he said.
On Upko being a local party, Kong said he was of the opinion that it was no longer so as Upko was now a national party after it spread its wings to Peninsular Malaysia.
“My duty now is to help Party Harapan Rakyat get more support from the Chinese community. It of course already has support but I will do my best to get more support and for this I will be going down to the ground,” he said.