‘SAPP won’t return to BN’

Party willing to work with any local or federal opposition groups to topple the BN state government

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Progressive Peoples’ Party, while keeping its options open, is not likely to return to the Barisan Nasional fold.

Dispelling speculations that it may return to BN, its deputy president Amde Sidik said SAPP is prepared to cooperate with other opposition parties including federal based groups in its bid to oust the present state government.

Reassuring those wary that SAPP will rejoin as happened during the Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) era, Amde said: “The scenario is no longer the same. We are in a different era. Current federal leaders need Sabah and Sarawak more to form the federal government.

“Forty-eight years ago it was just the opposite where Sabah and Sarawak had freely given nearly all their parliamentary seats to enable BN to form the federal government.

“Today, if Sabah and Sarawak voters open their eyes beyond the zinc (sheets), blue water tanks and other forms of bribes, the situation could be different. Sabah and Sarawak can minimise the bullying game by the BN.”

Sidik said Sabah and Sarawak were mostly ignored by the federal ruling coalition and the ‘fixed deposit’ was their (Borneo states) own doing.

“We are being ignored and even called a fixed deposit largely because of our own ignorance and for monetary gain.

“I guarantee there is no real Umno fighter in Sabah. All are there because of the reasons I mentioned. What have they to prove of their struggle in Umno?

“Usno and Upko, yes they had an independent political agenda for the state. Unfortunately our younger generation don’t read our local history anymore,” he said.

Non-racial party

He said that SAPP has shed its Chinese image and is now a multi-racial and multi religious Sabah-based party.

“Bumiputra membership in the party outnumber other races. Bumiputra leaders comprise about half of the total numbers of party’s leaders at the constituency level. Bumiputras dominate the leadership group at the Constituency Liaison Committee (CLC).

“For the first time in the history of the party (since its inception 18 years ago) it has a Muslim deputy president. By its constitution, SAPP has always been a non-racial political party,” he said.

The party, he said, does not have a quota system because it believes that selection should be based on the ability to lead and not because of race and or political connections.

“We can’t afford to think along racial or religious lines. If God wants Sabah to have only one religion, God could have done it a long time ago.

“Every religion says all races are equal but people make it unequal.

Political parties based along racial party lines will one day find they have few followers.

“It is a divisive system. BN component political parties are based on racial lines. Our young are no longer subscribe to this, but many of our leaders don’t realise this. We can learn from (what is happening in) the Middle East,” he said.

He said the time has come for the people of Sabah and Sarawak to chart their own destiny.

“There is a choice now. Those who don’t want to remain the same, please support the opposition political parties and ensure they win in the general election,” he said. - FMT