KUALA LUMPUR, March 18 — Former deputy minister Datuk Liew Vui Keong today announced his formal exit from the Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) party he had previously headed to join a new Sabah-based opposition party.

In announcing his joining of Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal’s Parti Warisan Sabah, Liew today led 200 of his supporters in leaving BN’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), local newspaper See Hua Daily reported.

According to See Hua, Liew was accompanied by several former LDP leaders when making the announcement.

When asked if he would contest in the 14th general elections under Parti Warisan Sabah, Liew reportedly said he would leave this to the party leadership to decide.

On Monday, local paper The Borneo Post had reported Shafie as announcing that Liew had been appointed as Parti Warisan Sabah’s permanent chairman.

Late last month, Liew had reportedly visited Chinese New Year open house events, including one in Sandakan where Sabah DAP chairman Stephen Wong and a few Parti Warisan Sabah leaders had attended.

He had then denied that he had joined Parti Warisan Sabah, saying then that he had yet to decide on his political direction.

Parti Warisan Sabah was formally formed on October 17, 2016 by Shafie who is also its president.

Shafie was formerly an Umno vice-president and was a minister until 2015.

Liew was a deputy minister from 2008 to 2013, and was president of the LDP until 2014.