Published on: Saturday, April 14, 2007 |
He made the announcement at a brief press conference at his Ministry in Wisma Tun Fuad here shortly after met with the Head of State Tun Ahmadshah Abdullah to tender his resignation.
Chong, who is Tanjong Kapur Assemblyman, would also not be attending the three-day State Legislative Assembly sitting scheduled from Monday. Speaker Datuk Juhar Mahiruddin confirmed he had applied for leave.
Chong, 60, who handed over the presidency of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to Datuk V.K Liew last September, said he has yet to meet with Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman, who is away in Europe this week, but that he had already conveyed (decision to quit) to him.
The last time he met Musa was during the last Cabinet meeting. To a question, he said he would remain as Assemblyman for Tanjong Kapur, Asked if the move suggested some misunderstanding between him and the Chief Minister, Chong said: "I will only be giving my statement today, my statement which, I have prepared today. It will be good for now".
He said the last thing on his mind when making the decision was his principles.
Asked why the sudden resignation, Chong said: "It's not sudden ... I'm nobody É not important and I'm nothing."
When asked if he had spoken to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, he said: "I don't think it is important. I am just a small, little state leader."
He declined comment when asked what he meant that he "was no longer important" or whether this indicated that he had differences with the Government.
"I will have my say, if need be, when the time comes. Otherwise, I will try to refrain. I'm known to be a very patient man. Whatever I can refrain ... I refrain ... unless I'm forced to.
"I will stand by what I've been doing all my political life and I will stand by my principles," he said when asked to describe his relationship with other members of the Cabinet.
Chong also declined comment when asked if his decision meant that, "his patience had been pushed to the limit".
He believed his resignation would not have any effect on the Barisan Nasional (BN) especially with speculations of elections looming, although he had deferred the announcement after the Machap by-election "out of respect for the BN".
"I was in fact planning to submit early but because of the by-election. I thought that it's better I do it after," he said.
"I have been saying to the world that I am trying to have a graceful, proud exit for the last two to three years. I have been trying to leave gracefully, leave with pride and well. I have made my decision today. I had a good audience with the TYT."
He said had a long and personal talk with Ahmadshah when asked about the Head of State's response to his decision.
When told that LDP would no longer be represented in the Cabinet following his resignation, he said:
"We've had that experience before, nothing new to LDP, we were once represented and then not represented subsequently in mid 90s, we had one Minister, then we didn't have in 1995.
"I believe our party is a very small party, not important. We are used to this. We are not represented (in Cabinet) doesn't matter, we will have our principle intact."
Chong said he had explained the matter to LDP members and believed the party leaders understood his decision.
However, he said he felt it was not necessary for him to explain to the Chinese community. "I don't think I am that importantÉto have to explain on a decision, which is very personal to me.
"As a State Minister for the past eight years including a period of two years as the Chief Minister of Sabah, I wish to sincerely convey my heartfelt appreciation and thanks to all Malaysians in Sabah who have given me their unstinting support and understanding all these years," he said reading from his prepared statement.
He added that this support and understanding had made his work the past eight years much more meaningful.
"I am also taking this opportunity to express my sincere thanks for the understanding and support given to me by members of the media. Please accept my apologies if I have had at any time offended any of you in the course of my work," he said.
Chong accepted the Deputy Chief Minister post under the Chinese quota in the new State Cabinet headed by Musa after the 2004 General Election as well as retained the Tourism, Culture and Environment portfolio that he held in the previous Cabinet.
Among the founding members of LDP, Chong was a former Minister in the Prime Minister's Department after he was appointed Senator in the mid-1990s for several years before returning to Sabah to contest and win the Kudat State seat (now Tanjong Kapur).
His appointment as Chief Minister for two years under Sabah's unique rotation system in 2001 had earned praises from many quarters, especially with his objective of ridding the State of the three ills - illegal immigrants, illegal logging and fishbombing.
The rotation system, an election pledge by the BN, was implemented to give an opportunity to leaders from the three main ethnic communities namely Muslim Bumiputera, non-Muslim Bumiputera and Chinese in Sabah to become Chief Minister.
After completing his tenure, he handed the helm to Musa who continued as Chief Minister after the 2004 election when the rotation system was abolished.
