Liberal Democratic Party (Malaysia)
Encyclopedia
The Liberal Democratic Party is a Chinese political party
originally founded in the town of Tawau
, Sabah
, Malaysia by Hiew Min Kong in 1989.
The party is considered a minor political party in Malaysia, having its base mainly in Sabah. Its sole parliamentary seat in the House of Representatives is the Sandakan
seat which was won by the party's president, Liew Vui Keong in the 2008 General Elections
under the National Front ticket.
(PBS), then a federal opposition party, was the state government of Sabah. The formation of LDP then was seen more as "a storm in a teacup" as the existence of Berjaya
, USNO and Sabah Chinese Party (SCP) had posed a larger challenge to the mighty PBS then as LDP was a small party.
LDP contested the 1990 Sabah State Election and fielded 14 candidates but lost all the seats it contested. PBS won 44 seats out of the 48 State Constituencies it contested in the election.
Despite LDP's defeat in the 1990 State Election, in 1991, LDP was admitted into the fold of National Front as its first Chinese-based political party in Sabah. Chong Kah Kiat
became the president then and had since replaced Protem President Hiew Ming Kong as the President of LDP. As the United Malay National Organisation (UMNO) was introduced into Sabah to fight PBS, other National Front political parties in Sabah who had contested in the 1990 State Election like BERJAYA and USNO were forced to disband and disappeared from the political scene altogether.
Under the Barisan ticket, LDP was allocated three seats, Tenom
, Kudat
and Sembulan. LDP's candidate won the Kudat seat while lost the other two to the PBS's candidate.
The aftermath of the 1994 State Election
saw many state elected representatives switching their political parties. This resulted in the collapse of PBS and the emergence of Sabah UMNO which went on to form the next government. The new State Government of Sabah included LDP's sole representative, Kong Hong Ming, into the Sabah Cabinet.
In 1995, LDP president Chong Kah Kiat
was picked as a senator to the Dewan Negara
. However later, Chong was challenged for the presidency by Kong. Chong eventually emerged as the winner and Kong left the LDP, quitting his ministerial post from the Sabah cabinet. Chong continued as a federal Minister in the Prime Minister Department from 1995 till 1999 when he resigned to return to state politics.
LDP was allocated two State Constituencies seats for the 1999 State Election namely Kudat and Karamunting where the candidates are Wong Lien Tat, the Party's Vice President and Chong himself. They eventually won both seats handsomely. Both were made ministers in the state cabinet.
LDP reached its political peak when Chong became the 13th Chief Minister of Sabah under the Rotation System introduced by the then Prime Minister of Malaysia
, Dr. Mahathir Mohamed in 2001. Chong Kah Kiat became Chief Minister for two years till 2003 before the post went back to UMNO and the post was never again rotated as in the 2004 Sabah state election, National Front swept 59 out of the 60 state seats. LDP won all the three state seats it was allocated under the Barisan Nasional
ticket. Despite so, LDP lost the Sandakan parliamentary seat to an independent candidate which had the backing of Sabah Progressive Party
.
In 2005, Liew Vui Keong was appointed as the party's Secretary General. In 2006, Chong Kah Kiat decided to retire as party president. Liew Vui Keong and Chin Su Phin then took over as the Party President and Deputy President posts respectively. Teo Chee Kang was appointed Secretary General. Chong Kah Kiat, however, did not retire from politics as he remained as the State's Deputy Chief Minister cum Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment.
On 13 April 2007, Chong Kah Kiat resigned from the State Cabinet due to his differences with the Chief Minister Musa Aman
over the State Government's stoppage order for the construction of a Mazu
statue which was undertaken by the Kudat Thean Hou Charitable Foundation in Kudat. Chong resignation from the state cabinet completes his exit in politics.
In the 2008 elections
, all new faces were fielded in the three state seats allocated to LDP. LDP won all three seats comfortably as Barisan swept 61 seats out of the 62 state seats. Secretary general Teo Chee Kang won the Tanjong Kapor seat which was previously held by Chong Kah Kiat. New LDP President Liew Vui Keong also won the Sandakan Parliamentary seat and was subsequently appointed Deputy Minister of Trade and Industries.
After the Sabah Progressive Party
(SAPP) announced it would quit National Front on September 17 2008, its quota of Sabah's Deputy Chief Minister was handed over to LDP. Deputy President Chin Su Phin suggested that the party's three assemblymen were too young-and-inexperienced and therefore not ready to take up such a senior position and instead recommended MCA
for the post citing that it is the largest Chinese-based BN component party. In spite of that, first term assemblyman Peter Pang was appointed to the post by the Chief Minister Musa. Pang was chosen because compared to the other two LDP assemblymen, Teo Chee Kang (Tg. Kapor) and Pang Nyuk Ming (Merotai), Pang is not closely aligned to Chong Kah Kiat.
Currently, the president of the party is Liew Vui Keong
. He took over after its former president, Chong Kah Kiat
, Sabah
's former Chief Minister
, decided to retire as party president.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
originally founded in the town of Tawau
Tawau
Tawau is the administrative center of Tawau Division, Malaysia and the third largest town of Sabah after Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan.-Geography:...
, Sabah
Sabah
Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
, Malaysia by Hiew Min Kong in 1989.
The party is considered a minor political party in Malaysia, having its base mainly in Sabah. Its sole parliamentary seat in the House of Representatives is the Sandakan
Sandakan
Sandakan is the second-largest city in Sabah, East Malaysia, on the north-eastern coast of Borneo. It is located on the east coast of the island and it is the administrative centre of Sandakan Division and was the former capital of British North Borneo...
seat which was won by the party's president, Liew Vui Keong in the 2008 General Elections
Malaysian general election, 2008
The 12th Malaysian general election was held on March 8, 2008, in accordance with Malaysian laws for national elections, which states that a general election must be held no later than five years subsequent to the previous elections; the previous general election was held in 2004...
under the National Front ticket.
History
The Liberal Democratic Party was formed in 1989 during the era when Parti Bersatu SabahParti Bersatu Sabah
The Parti Bersatu Sabah is a political party in Sabah, east Malaysia. It was registered as a political party on March 5, 1985...
(PBS), then a federal opposition party, was the state government of Sabah. The formation of LDP then was seen more as "a storm in a teacup" as the existence of Berjaya
BERJAYA
BERJAYA was a political party based in the eastern state of Sabah in Malaysia. BERJAYA stands for Parti Bersatu Rakyat Jelata Sabah or Sabah People's United Front. The party was a result of a cooperation between Sabah's first Chief Minister Tun Fuad Stephens and former United Sabah National...
, USNO and Sabah Chinese Party (SCP) had posed a larger challenge to the mighty PBS then as LDP was a small party.
LDP contested the 1990 Sabah State Election and fielded 14 candidates but lost all the seats it contested. PBS won 44 seats out of the 48 State Constituencies it contested in the election.
Despite LDP's defeat in the 1990 State Election, in 1991, LDP was admitted into the fold of National Front as its first Chinese-based political party in Sabah. Chong Kah Kiat
Chong Kah Kiat
Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat was the 13th Chief Minister of Sabah, Malaysia. He is also the former president of the Liberal Democratic Party .-History in politics:...
became the president then and had since replaced Protem President Hiew Ming Kong as the President of LDP. As the United Malay National Organisation (UMNO) was introduced into Sabah to fight PBS, other National Front political parties in Sabah who had contested in the 1990 State Election like BERJAYA and USNO were forced to disband and disappeared from the political scene altogether.
Under the Barisan ticket, LDP was allocated three seats, Tenom
Tenom
Tenom is a town located in Interior Division of Sabah, east Malaysia on the island of Borneo. The town was called Fort Birch in the early colonial period. Its population was estimated to be around 46,200 in the year 2000....
, Kudat
Kudat
Kudat is a town in Sabah, East Malaysia, on the northern tip of Borneo island. It serves as the administrative center for the Kudat Division, which includes the towns of Kudat, Pitas, Kota Marudu, and some offshore islands....
and Sembulan. LDP's candidate won the Kudat seat while lost the other two to the PBS's candidate.
The aftermath of the 1994 State Election
Sabah state election, 1994
The 1994 Sabah state election was held in February that year in the Malaysian state of Sabah. The election was one of the most controversial election in Sabah's political history. The election was won by the opposition party Parti Bersatu Sabah , winning 25 state electorates against 23 won by the...
saw many state elected representatives switching their political parties. This resulted in the collapse of PBS and the emergence of Sabah UMNO which went on to form the next government. The new State Government of Sabah included LDP's sole representative, Kong Hong Ming, into the Sabah Cabinet.
In 1995, LDP president Chong Kah Kiat
Chong Kah Kiat
Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat was the 13th Chief Minister of Sabah, Malaysia. He is also the former president of the Liberal Democratic Party .-History in politics:...
was picked as a senator to the Dewan Negara
Dewan Negara
The Dewan Negara is the upper house of the Parliament of Malaysia. The Dewan Negara consists of 70 members, of which 26 are indirectly elected by the states, with two senators for every state in the Federation, and the other 44 being appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong .The Dewan Negara...
. However later, Chong was challenged for the presidency by Kong. Chong eventually emerged as the winner and Kong left the LDP, quitting his ministerial post from the Sabah cabinet. Chong continued as a federal Minister in the Prime Minister Department from 1995 till 1999 when he resigned to return to state politics.
LDP was allocated two State Constituencies seats for the 1999 State Election namely Kudat and Karamunting where the candidates are Wong Lien Tat, the Party's Vice President and Chong himself. They eventually won both seats handsomely. Both were made ministers in the state cabinet.
LDP reached its political peak when Chong became the 13th Chief Minister of Sabah under the Rotation System introduced by the then Prime Minister of Malaysia
Prime Minister of Malaysia
The Prime Minister of Malaysia is the indirectly elected head of government of Malaysia. He is officially appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the head of state, who in HM's judgment is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of that House of Representatives , the...
, Dr. Mahathir Mohamed in 2001. Chong Kah Kiat became Chief Minister for two years till 2003 before the post went back to UMNO and the post was never again rotated as in the 2004 Sabah state election, National Front swept 59 out of the 60 state seats. LDP won all the three state seats it was allocated under the Barisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional is a major political coalition in Malaysia, formed in 1973 as the successor to the Alliance . Along with its predecessor, it has been Malaysia's federal ruling political force since independence...
ticket. Despite so, LDP lost the Sandakan parliamentary seat to an independent candidate which had the backing of Sabah Progressive Party
Sabah Progressive Party
The Sabah Progressive Party is a political party based in Sabah, East Malaysia. It was registered on 21 January 1994 by dissidents led by former Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Yong Teck Lee from Parti Bersatu Sabah . Formerly a component party in the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, SAPP officially...
.
In 2005, Liew Vui Keong was appointed as the party's Secretary General. In 2006, Chong Kah Kiat decided to retire as party president. Liew Vui Keong and Chin Su Phin then took over as the Party President and Deputy President posts respectively. Teo Chee Kang was appointed Secretary General. Chong Kah Kiat, however, did not retire from politics as he remained as the State's Deputy Chief Minister cum Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment.
On 13 April 2007, Chong Kah Kiat resigned from the State Cabinet due to his differences with the Chief Minister Musa Aman
Musa Aman
Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Musa bin Haji Aman , is the 14th and current Chief Minister of the state of Sabah in Malaysia. He took over the post from Chong Kah Kiat on March 27, 2003...
over the State Government's stoppage order for the construction of a Mazu
Mazu
Mazu may refer to the following Chinese topics:* Mazu , deity in South China and Taiwan* Mazu Daoyi , Zen teacher in medieval China* Matsu Islands, administrative region of the Republic of China...
statue which was undertaken by the Kudat Thean Hou Charitable Foundation in Kudat. Chong resignation from the state cabinet completes his exit in politics.
In the 2008 elections
Sabah state election, 2008
The 2008 Sabah state election was held on March 8, 2008, simultaneously with the 12th general election of Malaysia. 60 state assembly seats were contested. The election was won by the Barisan Nasional coalition with a similar amount of seats won as in the previous election, where they won 59...
, all new faces were fielded in the three state seats allocated to LDP. LDP won all three seats comfortably as Barisan swept 61 seats out of the 62 state seats. Secretary general Teo Chee Kang won the Tanjong Kapor seat which was previously held by Chong Kah Kiat. New LDP President Liew Vui Keong also won the Sandakan Parliamentary seat and was subsequently appointed Deputy Minister of Trade and Industries.
After the Sabah Progressive Party
Sabah Progressive Party
The Sabah Progressive Party is a political party based in Sabah, East Malaysia. It was registered on 21 January 1994 by dissidents led by former Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Yong Teck Lee from Parti Bersatu Sabah . Formerly a component party in the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, SAPP officially...
(SAPP) announced it would quit National Front on September 17 2008, its quota of Sabah's Deputy Chief Minister was handed over to LDP. Deputy President Chin Su Phin suggested that the party's three assemblymen were too young-and-inexperienced and therefore not ready to take up such a senior position and instead recommended MCA
Malaysian Chinese Association
Malaysian Chinese Association is a uni-racial political party in Malaysia that represents the Malaysian Chinese ethnicity; it is one of the three major component parties of the ruling coalition in Malaysia called the Barisan Nasional in Malay, or National Front in English.Along with the largest...
for the post citing that it is the largest Chinese-based BN component party. In spite of that, first term assemblyman Peter Pang was appointed to the post by the Chief Minister Musa. Pang was chosen because compared to the other two LDP assemblymen, Teo Chee Kang (Tg. Kapor) and Pang Nyuk Ming (Merotai), Pang is not closely aligned to Chong Kah Kiat.
Presidents
- 1989 - 1991: Hiew Ming Kong
- 1991 - 2006: Chong Kah KiatChong Kah KiatTan Sri Chong Kah Kiat was the 13th Chief Minister of Sabah, Malaysia. He is also the former president of the Liberal Democratic Party .-History in politics:...
- 2006 - present: Liew Vui Keong
Currently, the president of the party is Liew Vui Keong
Liew Vui Keong
Datuk Liew Vui Keong is a Malaysian politician. He is currently the Member of the Parliament of Malaysia for the Sandakan constituency in Sabah, representing the Liberal Democratic Party . He is a Deputy Minister in the Barisan Nasional government, sitting in the Prime Minister's Department.Liew,...
. He took over after its former president, Chong Kah Kiat
Chong Kah Kiat
Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat was the 13th Chief Minister of Sabah, Malaysia. He is also the former president of the Liberal Democratic Party .-History in politics:...
, Sabah
Sabah
Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
's former Chief Minister
Chief Minister
A Chief Minister is the elected head of government of a sub-national state, provinces of Sri Lanka, Pakistan, notably a state of India, a territory of Australia or a British Overseas Territory that has attained self-government...
, decided to retire as party president.