‘Umno has undermined Sabah BN spirit’

Sabah opposition SAPP has described former deputy chief minister Peter Pang's move to Gerakan as an 'insult' to other Barisan Nasional partners.

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah-based political parties have lost their relevance in the state Barisan Nasional government, according to an influential opposition party here.

Blaming Umno for undermining Sabah BN partners, opposition SAPP said local parties have lost their influence just like Sabah lost its autonomy power

SAPP information chief Chong Pit Fah was alluding to former Sabah deputy chief minister Peter Pang’s controversial shift to Gerakan, a peninsular based BN-ally which almost lost all of its seats in peninsular during the politically significant 2008 general election.

He said Pang’s move was an ‘insult’ to the local parties.

“Now most Chinese YBs having ministerial post in the state cabinet are from KL-based party … this is a big insult to the local based party.”

“What is the local parties stand now? They seemed to be of no more relevance to the BN.

“How can KL-based party leaders address Sabah’s local Chinese issues if their political masters are not from here?” he asked.

The local BN component parties are PBS, Upko, and Chinese-based Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), under whose ticket Pang won his Karamunting seat in 2008.

Pang left LDP last year following a spat with his party leadership who had expressed no-confidence in Chief Minister Musa Aman.

By Umno design

Chong said that even the entry of assemblymen Raymond Tan (Elopura), Au Kam Wah and now Pang, all Chinese leaders, into Gerakan had been arranged by Umno leaders.

“Raymond Tan and Au Kam Wah’s announcement of joining Gerakan was made during Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s visit to Sabah,” he said, adding that Pang in announcing his entry into Gerakan had also thanked the prime minister for giving his “blessing” for the move.

Chong said the latest development with the removal of Pang as the DCM (under Chinese quota) just one day after he officially joined Gerakan, had also left the Chinese community in Sabah wondering who is the Chinese leader representing them in the state cabinet.

“If the Muslims have Musa and Umno, while the KDM have Huguan Siou Joseph Pairin Kitingan as their leader then who is the leader for the Chinese community?” he asked.

He believed the deputy chief minister’s post for the Chinese quota would not be given to Gerakan because it was a junior member of Sabah BN.

Chong alleged that Gerakan was famed for reinvigorating itself by acquiring problematic elected representatives from all over the places akin to collection of second-hand goods.

“Despite suffering a humiliating defeat in the 2008 general election when even its party president lost, Gerakan is very lucky because now they have six elected representatives after getting three “YB pungut-pungut” from Sabah,” quipped Chong. - FMT