Tributes pour in for Batu Sapi MP

KOTA KINABALU: The late Datuk Liew Vui Keong, or “VK” to his friends, has been described as a dedicated lawyer and politician who strived to do his best in whatever capacity he was in.

Friends remembered the Batu Sapi MP as an “excellent” lawyer who used his legal training well to focus on implementing various reforms during his two-year stint as de facto law minister under the Pakatan Harapan government.

The Parti Warisan Sabah permanent chairman was pushing for laws on the abolition of the death penalty among other reform Bills that included pursuing amendments to the Constitution to put Sabah and Sarawak back as equal partners under the Malaysia Agreement 63.

However, he could not achieve many of the objectives following Pakatan’s loss of power.

Some laws went through, some did not but he never gave up as he continued to be an effective opposition MP after the Perikatan Nasional coalition took over the Federal Government earlier this year.

Warisan secretary-general Datuk Loretto Padua said he had lost a good friend.

“VK was like a brother to me; he was my mentor when I joined his law firm for pupillage and then he took me into politics, ” said Padua.

VK’s death, he said, came as a shock for just a day or two before the Sept 12 nomination day for the 16th Sabah election, he had gone to see Liew at Jesselton Medical Centre. He was later transferred to Gleneagles Hospital here.

“I was there for about an hour but he was mostly asleep. I was talking to his wife (Datin Dr Lindai Lee) and then he woke up and asked me to stay for coffee.

“He told me he had back pain and difficulty walking. We chatted for a while, mostly politics, before I left, ’’ said Padua, adding that all of them in the party were subsequently busy with the election.

“I called VK two days before election day (Sept 26). He spoke as usual but sounded a little tired. He told me he was able to walk. I did not think things would change, ” he said.

Liew, 60, a father of four, died at about 11.40am yesterday due to complications from lung infection. He had initially sought treatment for a slipped disc but he contracted a lung infection subsequently.

Liew was appointed the election director of operations for Warisan Plus but could not perform his duties due to his illness.

Born in Kota Belud district and able to converse in ethnic Bajau, Liew was picked by Warisan president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal to contest the Batu Sapi parliamentary seat in GE14.

He triumphed with a 4,619-vote majority against two-term incumbent Datuk Linda Tsen from Parti Bersatu Sabah who contested under Barisan Nasional.

Prior to joining Warisan, Liew served as Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) president from 2006 to 2014. He was MP for Sandakan from 2008 to 2013 before losing the seat to DAP in GE13. He served as a deputy federal minister.

He was ousted as LDP president following an internal power struggle that saw Datuk Teo Chee Kang emerge as the recognised president of LDP.

The party is now headed by Datuk Chin Su Phin.

With Liew’s demise, Sabah is set have another by-election this year.

Earlier this year, Sabah held the Kimanis by-election following an Election Court decision to nullify the 2018 result for the seat.

If held, this is the second time in a decade that the Batu Sapi seat is seeing a by-election due to a vacancy caused by death.

On Oct 9,2010, then Batu Sapi MP Datuk Edmund Chong Ket Wah was killed in an accident while riding a motorcycle. Chong’s wife, Tsen, won the by-election.

Political leaders from both sides of the divide conveyed their condolences to Liew’s family.

Writing on his Facebook page, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin hailed Liew as a person who was dedicated to his work and responsibility.

On behalf of the government, Muhyiddin also expressed its highest appreciation and gratitude to Liew on his contributions during his tenure as an MP and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.

Shafie expressed his sadness over the loss of a “dear comrade”.

“Condolences to his family. We feel deeply the loss and the contributions and sacrifices he had made since the start of Warisan, ” the former Sabah chief minister posted via his social media accounts.

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who helmed the Pakatan government before it was ousted, paid tribute to Liew on Twitter: “He was a member of my Cabinet and we struck a good working relationship.”

MCA president and Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong said that while he disagreed with Liew over several matters, including the abolition of the death penalty, their friendship did not end because of their differences.