Restoring special rights of Sabah tops LDP agenda
KOTA KINABALU: Barisan Nasional component party Liberal Democratic Party says it will continue efforts to restore Sabah’s special rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and the Federal Constitution.
In making the stand, LDP president Datuk Seri Teo Chee Kang said this was in tandem with what the state government had initiated.
Teo, who is also special tasks minister, said these efforts had gained momentum since the party last congress where he put forward the case for Sabah and Sarawak.
He listed developments, including the comprehensive report handed to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in May.
This included Najib’s announcement on the exemption of cabotage charges for Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan effective June.
Teo said Najib’s assurance that matters pertaining to the rights of both states would be negotiated with the Federal Government in a brotherly manner, clearly showed the prime minister’s respect.
“Today, more than 50 per cent of the heads of Federal Departments in Sabah are Sabahans.
“The percentage of Sabahan teachers serving in the state is close to the targeted 90 per cent.
“As a Sabah-based party, LDP shall continue to be a voice for the restoration of Sabah’s rights, as well as devolution of more federal powers to the state,” he said.
Teo said Pakatan Harapan’s manifesto of promising a “new deal” for Sabah was not needed as it only wanted what was agreed in MA63.
He also said the promises by Pakatan Harapan, such as appointing a deputy prime minister from East Malaysia, showed the pact was desperate for support from Sabah and Sarawak.
Highlighting the opposition’s lack of credibility, Teo said Pakatan Harapan (then Pakatan Rakyat) had lost eight assemblymen out of the 11 seats it won in the last election in Sabah, when the representatives ditched the coalition to join state-based opposition parties, Barisan Nasional component parties or become independent representatives.
On the 14th General Election, Teo said if the 13 additional state seats were not adopted by then, LDP would contest the four state seats entrusted to them by BN, namely Tanjong Kapor, Likas, Karamunting and Merotai as well as Sandakan parliamentary seat.
Teo reiterated the party’s firm stance against Pas president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang’s Private Member’s Bill to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act and the implementation of hudud law, as doing so would create two criminal justice systems for Muslims and non-Muslims.