Against All Odds

A very talked about Liew Yun Fah during the 2004 General Elections went against all odds and proved everyone wrong when he was made a Barisan Nasional candidate for Merotai. He won the seat despite facing bitter rejection from UMNO warload, Datuk Ghapur Salleh.

Liew went another step forward when his former party president Chong Kah Kiat resigned from Sabah cabinet. Chong was Deputy Chief Minister when he resigned. It is widely known that his resignation was linked to the erection of world's tallest Mazu statue in Kudat.

Chong has ordered all Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) elected representatives not to accept any post in the Sabah Cabinet headed by his rival Musa Aman. Liew, however, did not heed Chong's directive who was then the party advisor. He was seen sending tons of seafood and bird nests to Musa. Liew lobbied for a minister's post and he got it. He was made the Youth and Sports Minister.

Liew's new position further enhanced his image among the local Tawau and again proved many of his critics wrong, dead wrong. Personally he has made history in his very short political involvements. He rose from a political unknown but known gangster to Merotai LPD Advisor, Division Chairman, LPD Candidate, BN elected state assemblyman and finally a state minister.

Liew certainly has his own way of getting things done. His news are a frequent entries in the local media. Wherever he goes, he has two groups of people following him, one is his own bodyguards and the other the media people.

He holds open house during Chinese New Year and could have the state Governor and Chief Minister to be his guests of honour.

Now that the 12th General Election is just around the corner only waiting for the Primie Minister to announce the dissolution of the Parliament, Liew once again is on spot light.

Member of Kalabakan Ghapur Salleh as usual makes his claim on the Merotai seat. He even put up banners to make his claim. Ghapur is seen wanting the Merotai seat for his personal political survival. His wings were clipped when he was move to Kalabakan parliament seat. He is also known to be not in the good book of Musa.

Besides Ghapur's claim, Liew is also caught in difficult position in his own party priority. Liew is currently of one LPD's Vice Presidents. The Party President and Deputy President are both not holding any government post and still fighting for a seat in the coming election.

If both Liew and his party president VK Liew are contesting in the coming state election and win, only one of them would be made a minister in the state cabinet. Priority would go to the president. Liew would be demoted. Could he take it?

There is an alternative, Liew could stand in his current constituency and VK Liew stands for a Parliament seat, most likely Sandakan. If both of them win, Liew is likely to keep his minister post. However it is very unlikely that VK Liew will be offered any federal post due to his young political experience and there would not be any quota for LDP in the federal level. Would VK Liew want that as a party president?

It was also rumoured that Musa has told Liew to take over the LDP presidency from VK Liew so that all the problems could be solved easily. VK Liew is after all a puppet of Chong Kah Kiat who was placed there before handing over the position to a more favourable person of Chong, Teo Chee Kang.

Liew is said to be still calculating his risk and negotiating with VK quietly. With such a circumstances no wonder Liew is very quiet these day when asked to comment on his political future.

Are politicians serving the rakyat? You judge.