SAPP is willing to square off with Barisan Nasional in latter's strongholds as well as contest in non-Umno areas.
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) is confident that opposition parties in the state will be able to forge a pact that will see one-on-one contests against Barisan Nasional candidates in the coming general election.
The quick assurance from SAPP comes days after DAP veteran leader Lim Kit Siang said he was pessimistic of such an outcome, with Sabah opposition parties tussling with one another to be the kingmaker in any future state or national government.
SAPP president Yong Teck Lee, a former Sabah chief minister, said his confidence is based on two basic principles agreed between SAPP and Pakatan Rakyat leaders: Sabah local parties will contest a majority of the state seats and share the burden in contesting some of the difficult ones.
“SAPP is willing to face BN-Umno in their strongholds and, at the same time, to contest in non-Umno areas.
“Furthermore, consistent with the struggle for autonomy of Sabah, it goes without saying that local Sabah parties must contest a majority of state seats so that a future state government will not be appointed by federal parties,” he said.
What SAPP is offering in return is its support to all other opposition parties, including Jeffrey Kitingan’s Sabah STAR and those in Pakatan, in their bid to wrest the state and parliamentary constituencies from the the ruling BN and capture Putrajaya.
Still smarting from his poor showing in the Batu Sapi by-election in Sandakan which he blamed on sabotage by Pakatan parties, Yong said opposition parties cannot demand “easy seats” and leave the seats where the BN incumbents are popular to others.
The distribution of seats to each party should be fair, he said, citing how he had repeatedly assured DAP that SAPP would only contest in the Elopura and Tanjong Papat seats that it won on the BN ticket in the last election and would support Pakatan candidates for the Sandakan parliamentary seat and the Karamunting state seat.
“We wish to contest in one or two other Umno seats in the Sandakan zone. This formula has received overwhelming response from the Sandakan people,” he claimed.
‘SAPP not stumbling block’
DAP, however, caused dismay among SAPP leaders when it announced two weeks ago in Sandakan that the party would contest in all the three state seats and one parliamentary urban seat in Sandakan.
Yong said Lim’s admission that it was hard to achieve a consensus even in Sarawak, let alone Sabah, proves that the stumbling block to opposition co-operation is not SAPP.
“In Labuan, SAPP has declared earlier this year that it will opt out and will support any Pakatan candidate; this again shows it is not SAPP that is hindering co-operation among the opposition parties,” he added.
He said that the opposition should not lose sight of the intense in-fighting among BN parties and Umno leaders in Sabah, which makes it easier for the opposition to deny BN its “fixed deposit” Sabah seats, thus paving the way for the toppling of the BN at the national level.
Lim had voiced his disquiet over the possibility that the local opposition parties might co-operate with each other for straight fights with BN candidates.
He expressed his worries when speaking to reporters at the launch of Sabah DAP’s statewide public hearing on this year’s national day theme “Janji Ditepati” (Promises Fulfilled), at the Star City Convention Hall here on Monday.
Let just wait and see whether your words will come true.
ReplyDeleterasanya ia takkan berlaku.
Deletekerjasama pun sukar dicapai, bagaiaman ia nak berlaku?
ReplyDeleteYong pasti akan mendapat kekecewaan pada PRU13 akan datang.
ReplyDeleteJika kita lihat sendiri pun PR tidak ada kata sepakat dengan parti pembangkang tempatan Sabah sendiri. Mereka sendiri mahu menjadi ketua. Bayangkan saja JK mahukan kerus Ketua Menteri. Lepas itu Lajim pun sama mahukan kerusi Ketua Menteri. Tidakkan 1 Negeri ada dua ketua menteri.
ReplyDeleteThe opposition is devoid of ideas and are only playing up on the sentiment of the people in Sabah by raising issues that are already part of the struggle of the Barisan Nasional (BN) parties, said Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili.
ReplyDeleteOngkili said the rights of the people were important but “have always been championed by the Barisan Nasional parties especially Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) as the basis of our existence as a political party”.
ReplyDeleteHe also said PBS would not compromise on what is important to the people, including on the 20-point memorandum to safeguard the interests, rights and autonomy of the people of Sabah during the formation of Malaysia.
ReplyDeleteThe opposition was clueless as to what they wanted to do for the country whereas the BN was clear in its goals and strategies as “being championed under the leadership of the Prime Minister to set the direction for the country’s growth as a developed nation.
ReplyDeleteThe transformation programmes are real and concrete steps and the adoption of the strategies is the way forward for the country. On the contrary the opposition are harping on old issues.
ReplyDeleteUntil now they have not unveiled anything especially for Sabah and Sarawak and they are only talking about rights and to stir the sentiment of the people.
ReplyDeleteThe people should be wise in choosing a government. A good government is that which pays attention to the people’s needs and interests and at the same time focuses on the developmental progress of its people in every aspect.
ReplyDelete"SAPP is confident that opposition parties in the state will be able to forge a pact that will see one-on-one contests against Barisan Nasional candidates in the coming general election."
ReplyDeletejangan yakin sangat YTL.. Jeffrey masih dengan niat beliau mahu STAR bertanding di semua kerusi di Sabah.. hanya dengan cara ini barulah beliau berpeluang menukar status negeri kepada negara, seterusnya memerintah negeri ini sebagai Perdana Menteri, bukannya Ketua Menteri..
"SAPP president Yong Teck Lee, a former Sabah chief minister, said his confidence is based on two basic principles agreed between SAPP and Pakatan Rakyat leaders:"
ReplyDeleteantara SAPP dengan Pakatan Rakyat saja? mana STAR?
rakyat Sabah tidak sepatutnya memberikan peluang kepada Yong Teck Lee untuk menduduki kerusi Ketua Menteri Sabah untuk kali kedua.. ingatlah apa yang telah beliau lakukan kepada negeri ini sepanjang 2 tahun pentadbiran beliau..
ReplyDeletetidak ada jaminan bahawa pembangkang2 Sabah akan mampu mengadakan satu lawan satu dengan BN pada PRU akan datang.. sedangkan PRK Batu Sapi pun mereka gagal bekerjasama, inikan pula PRU yang bakal menentukan masa depan politik mereka..
ReplyDelete