LDP opts out of Sandakan by-election
KOTA KINABALU: Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) will not contest in the upcoming Sandakan parliamentary by-election.
Revealing this yesterday, its president Datuk Chin Su Phin said the decision was made by members of the Presidential Council in a special meeting recently.
He expressed regret at the passing of the late Sandakan Member of Parliament Datuk Stephen Wong Tien Fatt.
Despite different political backgrounds, Chin said Wong was committed towards serving the people in his constituency.
“As a sign of respect for Wong and his family, LDP has decided not to field a candidate in the Sandakan parliamentary byelection in order to give way for the candidate from Democratic Action Party (DAP),” he said in a statement here yesterday.
Chin added that the Sandakan by-election would be the eighth by-election in Malaysia since Pakatan Harapan (PH) took over the government less than a year ago.
Although the outcome of the by-elections had little impact on the overall political landscape, he said the by-elections incurred large financial and manpower resources on the candidates.
In addition, he pointed out that the low turnout in the previous by-elections showed that people were increasingly weary of politicking.
Chin said LDP accepted the decision voters made in the 14th General Election (GE14).
“The change of government signified a major step towards a healthy democratic system.
“GE14 has not only created a two-party system in Malaysia, but also reflected a heightened political awareness among the people.”
Since the people have made their choice, Chin said the opposition ought to allow the new government room to fulfil its manifesto during its tenure.
He added that politicians from both sides should focus on livelihood issues and addressing the people’s grievances rather than incessant politicking.
“The government should focus on implementing policies that improves the people’s well-being, whereas the opposition plays the role of check and balance against the ruling coalition,” Chin concluded.