Musa: Yong is a 'dangerous liar'

Chief Minister Musa Aman has called Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) leader a "dangerous liar". He said Yong Teck Lee’s campaign to wrest the Batu Sapi parliamentary seat is paved with lies, deception, and empty promises.

“It is a desperate attempt to grab power. He is a dangerous and an irresponsible leader who says one thing now but when he was in power, he did just the opposite.

“This kind of leader cannot be trusted, whether as an MP or state assemblyman, " he said.

At a meet-the-people-session in Kampung Bakau here last night, an increasingly panicky Musa said Yong is fooling people by saying he is a 'chief minister in waiting'.

Musa was campaigning for Barisan Nasional candidate Linda Tsen who is in a tree-cornered tussle with PKR's Ansari Abdullah and Yong for the Batu Sapi seat.

Musa also accused Yong of even trying to provoke a war between two nations, in order to achieve his selfish agenda.

“Since he joined politics, he has pitted one person against another. Today, he tries to provoke a war between Malaysia and Brunei by again raising the issue of ‘Block L & M’, which in fact is a none issue,” he said.

Musa said the ‘Block L & M’ had been adequately explained by the government since day one when it was first raised.

"There is nothing to hide and there is nothing sinister in this issue.“These areas rightfully belong to Brunei. Period!

“If at all there was even a slightest suggestion that ‘Block L & M’ is part of Sabah territorial waters, the government would ensure it remains ours as what it did for the Sipidan and Ligitan issue,” said Musa.

Complex issue

Musa said that it was sometimes difficult to explain to the people complex matters and issues, but Yong was only ‘fishing in murky waters’ hoping to play upon the naivety of the people to make it look as if the government of the day was in the wrong.

At the last Parliament sitting in June, this matter was again adequately addressed by his brother, the Foreign Minister, Anifah Aman, he said.

Citing the law, according to maritime experts, and based on UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) 1982, Anifah had said the two oil blocks clearly belong to Brunei.

Anifah had said that Malaysia will have its share of revenue from its oil and gas exploration.

Musa also said Yong was mischievous, if not ignorant, for suggesting that the MACC had failed to take action against him, over his alleged connection with a group of people who were arrested over alleged ‘money-laundering’ in Hong Kong.

“Yong is neither blind nor deaf to know that the authorities are doing a full investigation on all these allegations … nothing is being covered up.

"The authorities are investigating without fear or favour. Having said that, those who spread rumours should also be dealt with,” he said.

The non-event debates

Meanwhile the two planned debates among the candidates set for today failed to take off when none of the main actors turned up.

The first was to have involved Yong and Musa.

The other, organised by PKR's Ansari Abdullah, was to have involved him, Yong and BN's Linda Tsen.

However, the debates never saw the light of day when none of the suggested debators turned up.

Both Yong and Ansari tried to score points by calling for a debate -- despite having been told in advance that their intended debator would not participate.

Yong even went as far as to publish a full-page advertisement in local dailies to inform the public of today's debate at Dewan Hakka here at 1pm.

Musa had already said it was pointless to debate with Yong, while Yong, a former chief minister, brushed aside Ansari's invitation for a debate at Sanbay Hotel at 2pm.

Yong had said he preferred to debate with Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, instead of Ansari.

Earlier, Tsen had also turned down Ansari's invitation for a debate. - FMT