V.K.LIEW TO DEFEND SANDAKAN, SEEKS MORE SEATS

KOTA KINABALU : Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) president Datuk VK Liew has expressed his desire to defend the Sandakan parliamentary seat in the next general election, saying his mission for the Sandakan folk has not yet been accomplished.

"Since the last general election, in 2008, I have fallen in love with the people of Sandakan and they have accepted me as their representative," he said.

However, Liew said, he would abide by the decision of the (Barisan Nasional) leadership in the matter.

"I am ready to continue my service for the Sandakan electorate that I have rendered since 2008," he told reporters after launching the new state LDP headquarters in Kepayan Perdana, near here, today.

The LDP president was asked whether he would consider contesting a state seat should the party be allocated additional seats, particularly the six seats held by the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) which has left the BN.

The six are the two parliamentary seats of Tawau and Sepangar and the state seats of Luyang, Likas, Elopura and Tanjung Papat.

Liew said he hoped that the BN leadership would be fair to LDP, the longest serving Sabah BN component party, in respect of the distribution of the six seats in the next general election.

"Although we have a better local standi to demand for the seats, we also acknowledge that other BN component parties are also interested to put up their candidates. That's why we appeal to the BN leadership to be fair to the LDP," he said.

He said the LDP would work hard to ensure 100 per cent victory for the BN in the seats it would contest in the 13th general election, due to be called before April next year, and repeat the feat of the 2008 election.

In the last general election, the LDP won all the seats allocated to it - the Sandakan parliamentary seat and the three state seats of Tanjung Kapor in Kudat, Karamunting in Sandakan and Merotai in Tawau. (Bernama)