Sabah PH candidates will jump ship again, warns Yong

The SAPP president claims voters were eager to “slaughter the kataks” (frogs).

Yong Teck Lee (centre) and other SAPP leaders acknowledging the audience’s response at a ceramah. (Facebook pic)

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Progressive Party’s (SAPP) MP candidate for Kota Kinabalu Yong Teck Lee warned today that Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) candidates contesting the constituency’s parliamentary and state seats will leave their parties again if they win in the May 9 polls.

Yong, who is SAPP’s president, said constituents he met at a Sunday street market here had voiced their scepticism about the loyalty of DAP’s elected representatives.

“The common perception among those I met was that DAP YBs (Yang Berhormat title for elected representatives) are potential ‘kataks’ (frogs),” he said in a statement.

“Voters are disheartened by a string of DAP YBs and previous candidates jumping to other parties.

“With the election coming, voters said they will always remember the actions of DAP ‘frogs’ such as Hiew King Cheu of Luyang who jumped to MCA, Junz Wong of Likas and Edwin Bosi of Kapayan,” said Yong.

Wong had joined Parti Warisan Sabah while Bosi left DAP for Parti Kerjasama Anak Negeri. Both are local opposition parties.

DAP is a component of Sabah PH which includes PKR and Amanah.

Yong, a former Sabah chief minister, said several traders told him they could not wait for polling day as it would be an opportunity to “slaughter the kataks”.

As for BN candidates, Yong said it never crossed the minds of the people he met to vote for BN.

“That is why BN candidates keep saying, ‘vote for the person, not the party’,” claimed Yong.

“Such a slogan by BN candidates in Kota Kinabalu is a crude admission that BN is already rejected by the people.”

Yong said the people also lamented the ineffectiveness of Kota Kinabalu incumbent MP Jimmy Wong of DAP and Api Api assemblywoman Christina Liew.

“Their complaint was that their elected representatives were never around to hear people’s concerns,” said Yong.

“A woman trader complained about their MP whom they had never seen and also not heard speaking in Parliament about any issues affecting the state capital.

“The woman complained about how traffic jams are getting worse in Kota Kinabalu and the need for an overhaul of the public transport system.

“I explained these are among the issues that a Gabungan Sabah government will be tackling and something I will raise repeatedly in Parliament until they are solved,” promised Yong.

SAPP is a component of Gabungan, a four-party local opposition coalition. -FMT