Sunday, 20th May, 2012 | 5:14 am
Milestones of LDP
1989: The Formation
LDP was formed in 1989 when PBS was at the height of its political realm. Having defeated the then Berjaya Government in 1985 after a political upheaval, PBS became more formidable than ever and went on to win the snap election the following year convincingly. The formation of LDP then was seen more as "a storm in a teacup" despite the existence of Berjaya, USNO and Sabah Chinese Party (SCP) that were posed to challenge the mighty PBS then.
1990: Total Failure
LDP made its maiden entrance into the political foray in the 1990 Sabah State Election by fielding 14 of its candidates together with Berjaya, USNO, SCP and many other Independent candidates. Despite the strong challenge posed to PBS, PBS won 44 seats out of the 48 State Constituencies. It was a whitewash as far as LDP was concerned as it lost all of the 14 seats it contested.
1991: Admission to BN
Notwithstanding the defeat in the 1990 State Election, LDP made inroad in its political struggle by becoming the first Chinese based party in Sabah to be admitted into the fold of Barisan Nasional. LDP then was led by Datuk Chong Kah Kiat who had since replaced Protem President Hiew Ming Kong as the President of LDP. The virtues of perseverance, loyalty and dedication of which the Party President have been practising since have proven to be the cornerstone of success for LDP. The other political parties who had contested in the 1990 State Election went into disarray and disappeared from the political scene altogether.
1994: A Taste of Victory
The 1994 State Election was seen as a turning point for LDP when it was allocated three State Constituencies in Kudat, Tenom and Sembulan by BN to contest under the BN flag.
LDP's candidate Kong Hong Ming went on to secure the Kudat seat for BN. Dr Chong Eng Leong LDP candidate then for Sembulan lost to PBS by a whisker whereas Wong Yit Ming then LDP Youth Leader who stood in Tenom lost badly to PBS.
The after match of the 1994 State Election saw many elected YBs switching their political camps resulting 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 saw the inclusion of the LDP's candidate who had just won the Kudat Constituency in the Sabah Cabinet.
1995: Internal Conflicts
LDP won another feather on the cap when its Deputy President Datuk Lau Ngan Siew won the Sandakan Parliamentary seat in the General Election 1995. Soon afterward, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the then Prime Minister of Malaysia announced the appointment of Datuk Chong Kah Kiat as the Senator during a visit to Sabah. LDP was then posed to excel and to gain recognition in its political struggle but along the way a problem submerged from within when the elected candidate in Kudat and then a Cabinet Minister in the State Government openly challenged Datuk Chong Kah Kiat for the Party's Presidency.
The bitter fight for the LDP Presidency between Datuk Chong Kah Kiat and Datuk Kong Hon Ming resulted in the defeat of the latter who subsequently resigned from the Party and lost his Ministerial post in the Sabah Cabinet. After brushing off the challenge from the prodigal son, Datuk Chong Kah Kiat went on from strength to strength and continued as the Minister in the Prime Minister Department in 1995 till his resignation in January 1999 to return to State politics.
1999: Into the Cabinet
LDP was allocated two State Constituencies seats for the 1999 State Election namely Kudat and Karamunting where the BN candidates under Datuk Chong Kah Kiat and Datuk Wong Lien Tat, the Party's Vice President, won with a handsome majority.
Datuk Chong Kah Kiat was then made the State's Minister of Tourism, Environment, Science and Technology Development and Datuk Wong Lien Tat, the Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Department.
Later in the 1999 Parliamentary Election, LDP again given the task to contest in the Sandakan Parliamentary Constituency where the Party's Deputy President, Datuk Lau Ngan Siew, retained the seat for a second time.
1999: Political Height
The struggle for LDP culminated when the Party's President Datuk Chong Kah Kiat became the 12th Chief Minister of Sabah under the Rotation System introduced by the then Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dr Mahathir Mohamed.
During his two years' tenure as Chief Minister, the State saw the unprecedented progress in the State's policies in controlling and eradicating illegal logging, illegal fish bombing and illegal immigrants. The development of the tourism industry in the State under the able leadership of Datuk Chong Kah Kiat also progressed at a tremendous speed, contributing vast revenue towards the Federal coffer as large number of foreign tourists have started to visit Sabah and further revitalising the State economy.
