SAPP onslaught on peninsula-based parties continues

Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) believes Pakatan Harapan and Warisan are no different from BN and will sideline Sabah's interests.

Melanie Chia says only the Gabungan Sabah coalition will be able to reinstate Sabah’s true position in the Malaysian federation as per MA63. (Facebook pic)

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) continued its attack on peninsula-based opposition parties today, claiming that such outfits were only interested in winning the election but did not have Sabah’s best interests at heart.

SAPP deputy president Melanie Chia said these opposition parties — namely PKR, DAP and Amanah — and their local affiliates were merely focused on toppling Barisan Nasional and have no genuine interest to regain Sabah’s rights, as outlined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).

She was responding to Sabah DAP secretary Chan Foong Hin who claimed that Pakatan Harapan and Parti Warisan Sabah were the two main opposition groups in Sabah.

Chia also reminded Sabahans that a recent statement by PH leaders showed they will only go so far as devolving powers to Sabah that have been taken by the federal government if they come to power.

“These opposition parties dare not offer to fight for Sabah’s autonomy because they are answerable to their masters in the peninsula.

“At the end of the day, these opposition parties in Sabah are no different from BN. They are the same kind of animal in different skins,” she said.

Chia added that Warisan had to associate itself with PH to make itself look bigger than it actually is.

“They in turn will become subservient to the peninsular parties and will sing and dance to their tune. Again, no different from what’s happening in BN.”

On the other hand, Chia said the Gabungan Sabah coalition, of which SAPP is a component, had put forward a comprehensive plan in the election manifesto to get Sabah its deserved status in the Malaysian federation.

She said Gabungan’s focus was for Sabah to attain an equal partner status in the federation, issue Sabah identity cards to genuine Sabahans, resolve Sabah claims, reclaim oil and gas rights and the special revenue rights, and elevate the status of native courts.

16-second viral video

Meanwhile, the RM5,000 reward offer from SAPP seeking information on a doctored video involving its president, Yong Teck Lee, is starting to pay off.

The party has received further information about the origin of the 16-second video clip that had gone viral over social media last week, Yong said.

“The information that we have received so far points to Tawau as the starting point of this offensive clip,” he said, adding he would personally turn over to police all information SAPP had received about the matter.

“I would like to thank the public for sharing what they know about those involved in creating and spreading this doctored video clip.

“I believe this is a reflection of a responsible society in Sabah. They are as disgusted as I am with any form of a smear campaign that is the culture of peninsula-based parties.”

Yong had lodged a police report last Wednesday after a 16-second clip of him speaking at a SAPP event was altered with the voice of someone else, describing him in foul language. The doctored video then went viral over social media.

Yong had urged the police to investigate the case thoroughly as it was similar to the smear campaign against him in the 2013 general election.

The culprit in the 2013 incident was sued and had to retract his lies and to publicly apologise in the newspapers. - FMT