‘Don’t play hide and seek, Lajim’

SAPP chief Yong Teck Lee has opened his doors to Umno Sabah strongman Lajim Ukin.

KOTA KINABALU: Former Sabah chief minister Yong Teck Lee is hoping to form a political alliance with his former comrade in arms, Lajim Ukin, to help oust the Umno-led Barisan Nasional (BN) government from power.

The two were members of Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) before the party was ousted from power in 1994. Yong went on to form his own Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) and Lajim defected to Umno.

Both are now battling to remain politically relevant in the state.

Yong, in reaching out to the Umno Sabah strongman, has couched his offer of alliance under the ABU (Asal Bukan Umno or Anyone But Umno) concept to face Umno and BN in the impending 13th general election.

But for it to work, the SAPP president said today, the Beaufort MP must leave the ruling coalition now in order to be well prepared.

“Don’t hide it anymore … everybody now knows that Lajim Ukin wants to leave the BN. Although it is a bit late, but biarlah lambat asal Sabah selamat (so long as Sabah is safe),” he said.

Speaking at the SAPP Beaufort CLC annual general meeting recently, Yong said SAPP wanted to cooperate with Lajim in the coming election after news of him wanting to ditch the BN surfaced.

Lajim has not denied the news reports.

“Hopefully, Lajim no longer needs to play hide and seek. Just come out. Look at SAPP we were also in the BN once but now we are out for three and a half years,” he said.

‘Don’t wait too long’

Yong said that if SAPP MPs and elected state representatives were willing to sacrifice their position in the BN government in order to fight for the people of Sabah, then there should be no reason why Lajim could not do the same.

He thus told the people here to relay the message to Lajim whenever they see him that SAPP ‘really hopes’ that he will resign from Umno.

“We invite Lajim to leave BN and fight Umno together … anything but Umno,” he said, adding that they are without position or allowance but they still have pride.

Yong said SAPP would take into consideration Lajim’s visions for Beaufort and Kuala Penyu because “we want to win the election”.

“Our message to Lajim and his colleagues in Umno or in Upko or LDP who are dissatisfied to come and join the opposition.

“Don’t wait too long … there is a Chinese saying – the longer the night the more dreams you will have,” he added.