The pronouncement of Teo Chee Kang and senator Chin Su Phin as the Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) number one and two men respectively by the unrecognised LDP election chairperson Yong Wui Chung on Wednesday had no legal effect, said the party’s secretary-general Loretto Padua Jr.     

He explained Chin and Teo had been suspended since August this year and therefore, could not use their recent resolutions passed in a purported extraordinary general meeting (EGM) to legalise their positions.      

“From the legal stand point, their actions were void from the very beginning. Furthermore, the LDP disciplinary committee has resolved to suspend them since Oct 2.     

“All of them were given the opportunity to explain why action should not be taken against them, but they failed to turn up during the inquiry despite having received the letter of notification,” he said in a statement in Kota Kinabalu today.     

Loretto said the letters of suspension from the party’s disciplinary committee were sent to those concerned last week and all were given the right to appeal to the party’s supreme council.     

He also said a meeting with the Registrar of Societies (ROS) on Monday in Kuala Lumpur failed to reach a compromise.     

“We all flew to Kuala Lumpur for the meeting and perhaps we need not do that in future as we all can meet in Kota Kinabalu to reconcile on whatever differences we may have.       

“As it stands, if we miss the chance to reconcile, the implication and repercussion can be serious and we may live to regret it,” he said.   

However, Loretto was confident that the matter could be resolved.  

The LDP leadership crisis came to a boil recently after Teo (LDP secretary) announced he would run for president.         

President Liew Vui Keong then sacked Teo for allegedly violating the party's constitution and failing to carry out instructions of the supreme council members.     

Liew was quoted as asserting that the supreme council meeting on June 9 had decided that the posts of president and deputy president were not to be contested to avoid a split among members, and the minutes of the meeting were recorded by Teo, who is also minister with special functions in the Sabah Chief Minister's Department.     

Liew's faction was supposed to hold the party's annual general meeting on Oct 19 at the Yu Yuan multi-purpose hall in Sandakan.   

- Bernama