Running Dog and Political Bitch

Dr Max's vile remarks unbecoming

Kota Kinabalu: SAPP has expressed regret that certain Sabah-based parties like PBS had willingly become the Federal government's instrument to condemn the party for fighting for the rights of Sabah and,for expressing no confidence in the Prime Minister.

"But they (PBS) was silent when Umno leaders called for the PM to step down," said SAPP Secretary-general Datuk Richard Yong Monday.

"This clearly shows that some Sabah political leaders holding positions in the federal government had willingly subscribed to Kuala Lumpur's 'divide-and-rule' tactic to try to neutralize SAPP's effort to fight for the interests of the State and people.

Yong pointed this out in a statement issued yesterday in response to a statement made by PBS deputy president, Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili in a local daily that it was better for SAPP to quit BN besides describing it as a 'political bitch'.

Yong especially regretted that Ongkili had resorted to insult SAPP by calling the party a 'political bitch'.

"I find it very unbecoming of a veteran politician like him to call another Sabah-based party by such vile names.

"He shouldn't be too personal as SAPP is purely fighting for justice for Sabah and its people. And for doing so, SAPP and its leaders are willing to take the risk and to make sacrifices," said Yong.

On Ongkili's labelling SAPP as the "enemy from within", Yong countered that such description was probably most fitting for PBS which has now become "enemy within Sabah"

To better elaborate this, he reminded Ongkili that PBS had always used "Sabah for Sabahans" as platform of their political struggle.

"It looks like now PBS has forgotten all about it," he quipped.

He added that Ongkili should perhaps inform the people of Sabah on what he had accomplished to resolve the problems faced by Sabah, particularly the illegal immigrants and 'dubious citizens' issues, after his many years as Minister in the Federal Cabinet.

"If our leaders had done their job well and the Federal government had been sincere and fair towards Sabah and competent in solving issues affecting the State and, had not been flip-flop in its announcements and then frantically coming up with all sorts of questioning measures to try to easy the people's suffering which it (Federal Government) had caused as a result of hiking the fuel price drastically, this issue of no-confidence would not have arisen," he pointed out.

He also said Ongkili and those like-minded Sabah political leaders who are anxious to see SAPP get out of BN will have to wait for time being as, SAPP has until the end of July to answer to the show cause letter issued by the BN Secretary-general earlier.

Besides this, Yong also vehemently condemned PBS's Information Chief, Johnny Mositun's attempt to split SAPP by saying that PBS is willing to consider accepting SAPP deputy president Datuk Raymond Tan if he becomes partyless.

He stressed that PBS can say what they like in their attempt to split SAPP but, the fact is that Tan had categorically expressed his loyalty to SAPP earlier that, he would stay with the Party regardless of whether it is in or out of BN.

Meanwhile, responding to Ongkili's calling SAPP a `political bitch', SAPP's think-tank chief Datuk Tham Nyip Shen likened PBS to a `running dog.'

"SAPP may be a `political bitch' but it is not like PBS which is like a `running dog' with its tail always between its legs," Tham said.