KOTA KINABALU: President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Datuk Chin Su Phin, expressed confidence that Sabah-based local parties will continue to strengthen their position ahead of the upcoming General Election (GE), despite indications that a large portion of Chinese voters in the state are currently inclined to support Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan).
He said that during the last State Election, it was predicted that Warisan would not be able to form the state government, looking at they do not have a strong Kadazan Dusun Murut votes, the same to malay votes, even though many within the Chinese community had hoped otherwise at the time.
“From another perspective, although many Chinese voters are now supporting Warisan, we can see that the people of Sabah are becoming more united. They want the best local party to represent them,” he told the media after attending the LDP 2026 Chinese New Year Gathering at SJKC Chi Hwa Hall here.
Commenting on the upcoming General Election, Chin suggested that Peninsular-based parties should refrain from contesting seats in Sabah. However, he acknowledged that in a democratic system country, no party can be prevented from participating.
“Even if they contest, I foresee that local parties will emerge victorious in the coming Parliamentary election,” he said.
He stressed that efforts to strengthen local based party do not mean opposing the Federal Government.
“We are not against the Federal Government. The people of Sabah simply want stronger autonomy, similar to what Sarawak enjoys,” he explained.
Chin added that LDP remains well-organised, with a complete party machinery and potential candidates ready to be fielded in the next election. He noted that the party’s complaints bureau has been actively going to the ground to address community issues and assist in resolving problems faced by local residents.
“LDP has been consistently serving in areas such as Luyang, Likas, Elopura and Tanjung Papat. I have also instructed our complaints bureau to expand its outreach throughout Sabah, especially in Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan,” he said.
He urged Sabahans to make wise choices by consolidating their support for local party such as GRS, that are capable of securing big marginal victory to Sabah, thereby ensuring a united voice to negotiate effectively with the Federal Government, especially the chinese voice in the parliament.
“We will work together with the Federal Government that forms the administration to ensure Sabah receives the development and progress it rightfully deserves,” he affirmed.-pr/BNN
