Paid To Write Hatred

Amdee Sidik, Deputy President of SAPP, Chairman of Citizen Journalist Malaysia

When we talk about SAPP, it isn’t all about Yong Teck Lee alone but it involves the entire organisation. Joe Fernandez should learn how to write like an adult instead of spraying it like bullets all over the place.

Let me just briefly respond to him. I'm referring to his article ‘Party dogged by irrelevance’  that appeared in FMT 18/01/2012.

What grind has he with Yong Teck Lee, I wouldn’t know. I’m just confining this to something I do know.

This material isn't organised to answer item by item of Fernandez’ allegations, and readers are cautioned Fernandez isn’t new to writing like he was when Malaysiakini had to pay a hefty amount due to his malicious writings which led to his sacking not so long ago.

Therefore, it doesn’t require rebuttals but suffice to say he does have a problem in understanding others.

SAPP has been consistently bringing up issues of unfair treatment by the federal government to Sabah. Among the highlights, we asked for a Royal Commission of Inquiry of Illegal Immigrants in Sabah; we asked for the increase of Petroleum royalty; we asked for change of cabotage policy and many more.

It is SAPP who brought these issues up, later picked up by others, even by BN component parties. No other political parties are as energetic as SAPP in Sabah, but what is seen today is very many of our leaders from other political parties, out of jealousy are dwarfing SAPP leaders’ ability.

Unfair treatment by the federal government to the States of Sabah continues to exist in many shapes and forms, for example, new Mykad holders originally not Sabahans are treated by the government of the day far better than the natives of Sabah. Compare those who live in urban areas with those living in the interior. New Sabahans get access to facilities like medical services by virtue of them living in cities or towns but less or not at all in some rural areas.

The Batu Sapi by-election was the yardstick to measure the failure of SAPP, according to Joe Fernandez. If he can be analytical enough in looking for faults, I would think he could also be capable of striking the balance of fair reporting.

The population of Sabah voters in Batu Sapi is very much different as compared to other areas in Sabah namely in the West Coast and Interior.

Illegal immigrants and those who obtained the Mykad under project UMNO can be rest assured that they wouldn’t vote for SAPP as it is known they are the fixed deposit of UMNO and the MyKad is the key. The UMNO politicians would just say this ... vote opposition and we’ll take back the MyKad; and that would be enough to torture them with sleepless nights.

I found a 58-year lady Sabahan who hasn’t yet got a Mykad to date in Sipitang, whilst the new arrivals got theirs as easy as buying pisang goreng. No Sabahans would want to be robbed of their statehood arbitrarily yet it happened.

As one of the leaders in SAPP, though rather new both in the party and in politics, I wouldn’t like to hear cheap accusations by a desperate writer whose writing is malicious in nature - and I can only think he is also seen willing to prostitute himself to be used by someone to defame others.

SAPP’s friendly approach to its fellow local opposition political parties including PR is well intended. The very idea is to topple BN-UMNO, if only all oppositions can solidify among themselves there would be a greater chance of getting rid of UMNO. Any disagreements should be best keep aside and to be sorted out later.

SAPP has many new leaders who now play a dominant role in shaping the party.

Many new ideas have been injected to the party to make it very relevant today, contrary to what Fernandez said.

One such idea, which is lauded by SAPP, is Malaysia should have done away with the communal or racial politics mentality led by UMNO. Sabahans by far is more tolerant when it comes to dealing with race and religion; we don’t need to exhume the dead just because some are confused about his religious belief.

Any decision for the party isn't entirely from the President, in my little experience with the party ever since I joined three years ago. No single person dominates party decision-making. Thus, Fernandez shouldn’t shut his mind if he were to understand better about Sabahans’ culture.

Looking at the current mood all over the world, the Federal government can’t afford not to heed to people’s wants; they (the government of the day) can be as stubborn as stubborn can be, but if the price doesn’t come soon it will be over.

Fernandez thought highly of DAP. Let me say this: DAP is born in urban areas with an urban make up. They have zero agenda for kampongs, their struggle isn’t designed for rural people. Little do they know what Sabah's rurals dream, therefore there is no need to be rhetorical about it. Its ability in Sabah has a ceiling and is still a long way to form a Sabah Sate government by its entirety, unlike SAPP a local and non-communal political party.

Let others be the judge.