Lo took up this position on 1 January 1965, becoming only the second Chief Minister of Sabah, and the first Chinese to hold this post. He was in charge during arguably one of the most difficult and turbulent times in Malaysia's history, having to ensure harmony in a new multi-racial nation, whilst also juggling often conflicting demands between the Federal, British and Sabah governments. It was also during Lo's tenure, only months into his position as Chief Minister, that saw the withdrawal of Singapore from Malaysia to become an independent nation in 1965, a landmark event in both Malaysia and Singapore’s history. Lo lost his seat in the State elections in 1967 and was replaced as Chief Minister by Mustapha Harun. He continued to serve as a Member of Parliament until 1978 after which he returned to focus on his legal career.
