SANDAKAN: The President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Datuk Chin Su Phin, has expressed confidence that Sabah-based local parties will continue to strengthen their position ahead of the next elections, despite indications that a significant portion of Chinese voters in the state are leaning towards Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan).
He noted that during the last state election, LDP had predicted that Warisan would not be able to form the state government, although many within the Chinese community had hoped otherwise at the time.
“From another perspective, even if many Chinese voters are now supporting Warisan and we are in the opposition, we can see that Sabahans are increasingly united. They want the best local party to represent them,” he said.
Chin was speaking to media after attending LDP Chinese New Year Gathering 2026 at SJKC Chi Hwa Hall on Sunday.
Looking ahead to the next General Election, Chin suggested that parties from West Malaysia should refrain from contesting seats in Sabah.
However, he acknowledged that, in a democratic country, such participation cannot be prevented.
“Even if they do contest, I predict that local parties will prevail in the coming parliamentary election,” he said.
He stressed that the push for stronger local representation does not equate to opposing the Federal Government.
“We are not against the Federal Government, nor are we looking to fight it. Sabahans simply want what Sarawak has greater autonomy,” he added.
Chin said LDP remains well-structured and equipped, with party branches and complaint bureaus operating in areas such as Luyang, Likas, Sandakan and Tawau to assist the public.
“I have insisted that our complaint bureaus travel across Sabah to identify and resolve issues faced by the people. With these resources, I believe we can reclaim the seats won by opposition in the next election,” he said.
For the General Election, he identified Sandakan and Kota Kinabalu parliamentary seats as key targets, particularly constituencies the party has previously contested.
On the presence of multiple parties seen as representing Chinese interests, Chin emphasised the importance of cooperation despite differing strategies.
“We must work together. If some parties still insist on aligning with West Malaysian parties to contest, that is their choice. We may regard it as a friendly contest,” he remarked.
He reiterated that whichever coalition forms the Federal Government will have LDP’s support, but maintained that the party’s primary aspiration is to secure stronger autonomy and rights for Sabah within the federation.
“We will work with the Federal Government, but we want Sabah to have more meaningful and empowered autonomy,” he said.
