LDP to scrutinize new seats – Teo

KOTA KINABALU: The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) will be scrutinizing the proposed 13 new state seats recommended by the Election Commission (EC) in its latest delineation exercise.

According to its president, Datuk Teo Chee Kang, LDP will, after going through the proposal, lodge a complaint with the EC on the new seats should there be a need to do so.

“I have yet to really look into the details of the composition of voters in the proposed new constituencies as it was just put on public notice on September 15. I have not sat down to study the composition of the voters in respect of each and every one of the 13 new seats, so it is perhaps a bit premature of me to simply make comments without having studied the whole thing,” he said, when asked to comment on the issue.

Teo said this when met after officiating LDP’s Hari Malaysia and Mooncake festival celebration here on Saturday night.

“But of course, LDP will study and if need be we will voice out our concern, if there is anything we feel is not right, we will lodge our complaint to the EC,” he said when asked to comment on the composition of voters in the proposed new areas.

The Tanjong Kapor assemblyman, however, was of the opinion that Malaysia has evolved to such a stage that we shouldn’t view everything from the racial perspective.

“I am a Chinese but I serve all communities and so does a Muslim leader. We will serve all communities regardless of religion and race. I think it is time for us to blur the racial lines, so that all of us look upon ourselves as Malaysians instead of Chinese, Malay, Kadazan, Dusun, Indian… we have evolved to such a stage,” he pointed out.

According to Teo, the main issue should be how the leadership of Barisan Nasional would distribute the new seats among the component parties.

The Minister of Special Tasks said: “I think that would be the true issue. Of course, we (BN) have our ways of doing it, we would, as far as possible not do it in public, it is not a public debate. We are guided by our principles, spirit of power-sharing and the spirit of togetherness in BN.

“So, I think this is the time where we have to focus on consolidating and uniting the component parties instead of openly putting up claims for certain seats, like saying ‘I can win that seat therefore it should be given to me’. That would be very unwise for BN leaders to say things like that.

“As we are approaching the general election I think the focus should be on consolidating and making sure we strengthen unity among the component parties. We have seen what is happening out there among the opposition parties. It is just one word, disunity. We don’t want to be like that,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, when asked to comment on the claim by DAP Sabah chairman, Stephen Wong, that nine out of the 13 seats will be given to Umno, therefore LDP and Gerakan should do something to prevent that from happening, Teo replied that it is just pure speculation.

“I have not heard of such thing, I do not know where his source is. I think he better take care of his party’s internal affairs rather than interfere with what we are supposed to do in the BN. As far as I am concerned what he said is pure speculation and I do not think I have to respond to his speculation,” Teo said.