KOTA KINABALU: The Batu Sapi MCA division will be placed under Sabah MCA’s care until party branch elections in April following the resignation of division chief Datuk Chew Kok Woh and several members earlier this month.
Sabah MCA liaison committee chairman Lu Yen Tung said the state MCA remains united despite the recent circumstances faced at the particular division.
Chew, in a statement on March 11, announced he was quitting the party and relinquishing all his positions, including as a central committee member, to support Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor and join Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat).
Thanking MCA for its guidance since he joined as a party member in 1991, Chew cited the reasons for him leaving were due to changes in the political scenario in Sabah, and desiring the chance to implement programmes under the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) development plan in his area.
“Owing to these resignations, there are currently insufficient committee members resulting in the normal operations of the division being affected.
“However, considering that MCA branch elections will commence in April this year, Sabah MCA proposed to the MCA central committee to suspend the division and for Sabah MCA to take over divisional matters until after the party elections when the national leadership finalises their plans for the division,” said Lu in a statement Thursday (March 30).
Following the developments, Lu accompanied by Sabah Wanita MCA chief Datuk Dr Pamela Yong and several other leaders from the Kota Kinabalu and Sepanggar divisions have paid a visit to the Batu Sapi division.
“We listened to their feedback and views, and were comforted to hear that they and the other MCA divisions remain loyal to the party and its cause,” he added.
Lu admitted that under the leadership of Hajiji as Chief Minister, the political situation in Sabah has gradually stabilised.
“As we are all in one huge political family, every party should thus be on equal footing, and share the freedom to voice out over policies and express their positions.
“Simultaneously, the state government needs to not only strengthen internal cooperation, but also be inclusive of the roles of each allied party, in order to reach the mutual goal of bringing prosperity to Sabah,” he added.
