SAPP grouses about BN’s inaction over no-faith move

KOTA KINABALU, Aug 7 — Expecting to be sacked and be seen as heroes by the Sabah electorate, the Sabah Progressive Party expressed disappointment over the Barisan Nasional’s delay in deciding on the rebel party's status for not having confidence in Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's leadership.

SAPP president Datuk Yong Teck Lee has refused to quit the ruling coalition despite having no faith in the Prime Minister, putting the decision in the hands of an embattled Abdullah who has faced calls to quit after the BN's dismal performance in the March 8 elections where it lost four more states and its customary two-thirds parliamentary majority.

"The SAPP three-paragraph reply to the BN show-cause letter was so simple and clear because it was a mere reiteration of SAPP's loss of confidence in the PM announced on June 18 and endorsed by the supreme council on June 20. What is so complicated that the BN needs to study in detail?" Yong said in the statement issued late yesterday.

"Surely, the PM was stingy with the truth by saying that they (BN) need to study the SAPP letter in detail."

He said the party was "totally disappointed that the BN leadership has again put off a key decision affecting Sabah just in order for them to finish a by-election campaign (Permatang Puah) first".

"It shows that the BN has put their political interests above that of the people in Sabah," the former Sabah chief minister said.

But he vowed that SAPP will forge ahead to pursue its struggle based on its eight-point declaration and to fight against rapid rising costs that is causing hardship to the people

The tiny Chinese-based party contribute two MPs and four assemblymen under the BN banner. One of the Sabah assemblymen is a deputy chief minister in the Borneo state.

SAPP had decided on June 18 to either push or support a no-confidence motion against Abdullah but it turned out to be anti-climatic when both its lawmakers did not turn up for Parliament when it reconvened on June 24. Another attempt to support a Pakatan Rakyat motion failed in mid-July as it was rejected as it did not call for a vote.

-TMI