Sapp strips deputy chief of zone chairmanship

Sabah Progressive Party (Sapp) has removed its deputy chief and state deputy chief minister Raymond Tan as the party's Sandakan zone chairperson.

No reason was given but the party's secretary-general Richard Yong (left), a right-hand man of party president and former chief minister Yong Teck Lee, has been appointed the new zone chief in the East Coast Residency of Sandakan.

"I was in Sandakan to organise a Sapp zone meeting as new zone chairperson, taking over from Raymond Tan," Richard told Malaysiakini last night, explaining why he was away from Kota Kinabalu, his base for the past two days.

"Raymond has not been sacked from Sapp," he added.

But he did not clarify why Tan was removed as Sandakan zone chairperson.

The move does not come as a surprise to political observers as Tan has publicly gone against the line taken by the majority of the party leadership over a number of key issues, including the no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Sapp has two MPs - Eric Majimbun (Sepanggar) and Dr Chua Soon Bui (Sandakan) and four state assemblypersons, including assistant minister Melanie Chia (Luyang). The state deputy speaker is also from Sapp.

No Intention To Quit

In a Star report today, Tan was quoted as saying he had not quit nor did he have any intention to resign from Sapp despite differences with the top leadership.

According to political observers, the entire episode is part of an overall strategy and the party is perceived as more united now despite public display of internal differences.

Meanwhile, another Sapp leader told Malaysiakini there were clear attempts by certain quarters to drive a wedge between leaders of the party.

Teck Lee declined to respond to a Daily Express news report that Tan and several other supreme council members were contemplating leaving Sapp because of policy differences.

The newspaper reported on its front-page yesterday that Sapp appeared to be heading for a split with several high ranking party officials contemplating leaving because of its current acrimony with the Barisan Nasional leadership.'

The report added that at least two vice-presidents and up to six supreme council members from the interior and East Coast may quit in the coming days, as they disagreed with the decision taken by Teck Lee to embarrass the Barisan leadership at every opportunity.

Meanwhile Upko leader Bernard Dompok, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department and also another former chief minister, was caught in a cross-fire words between Sapp and Parti Bersatu Sabah led by Joseph Pairin Kitingan.

Caught In The Cross-fire

Dompok, who usually stands on Teck Lee’s side, said the Sapp leader had the right to do as he thought fit.

His words did not go down well with the leaders of PBS, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and Sabah Umno.

“Dompok is wrong to equate Yong Teck Lee's meeting with Parti Keadilan Rakyat advisor Anwar Ibrahim with Umno meeting with PAS,” PBS vice-president Herbert Timbon was quoted as saying in the Daily Express newspaper.

“There is a difference between the two. I believe Dompok is wrong - the main purpose and desired result of these two are totally different,” he said, adding that Teck Lee’s purpose for meeting Anwar was to topple the Barisan government by seeking support for a motion of no confidence against the prime minister.

“Umno meeting PAS after the March 8 general election was to strengthen the BN government," Herbert said.

Dompok had said Sapp was not alone within the Barisan to ask the PM to step down and therefore why should the coalition consider taking disciplinary action against Sapp.

Herbert, however, counter-accused both Dompok and Teck Lee of making excuses and that they wanted the PM to resign.

Sapp was also criticised by Sabah Umno leaders for its stance.