LDP invited to join opposition SAPP

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) has today invited Liberal Democratic Sabah (LDP) deputy president Chin Su Phin and those who have lost confidence in the Barisan Nasional leadership to join the opposition in the fight for change in Sabah.

Supreme council member David Chong Ket Sui said he sympathised with Chin and others who he said seem to be getting nowhere under the current Sabah BN leadership.

He said Chin should consider joining SAPP in its quest for state autonomy and more rights for Malaysians in the state.

"Since I am heading SAPP Api-Api constituency liaison committee (CLC) and Chin is also in Api-Api, I invite him to join us and work together to topple the BN..." he told FMT in Kota Kinabalu.

Chong said SAPP planned to contest in all the seats in the next general election, adding that "we hope anyone of the BN component parties will work withus to form the new government and ensure the return of our state autonomy".

"Today, we see that all BN parties can no longer work together and are disunited, so why don't they join SAPP to fight for state development and interest of the people," he said here today.

"I am sincere in making this call. The election is going to be held soon and more than half of the people feel that they have to change the governmentbecause they say the BN government cannot help them get development," he said.

Chong said SAPP under the leadership of former chief minister Yong Teck Lee would be the best choice because it is a non-racial party, which cares for all Malaysians irrespective of race, religion and background.

"I sympathise with Chin and other component leaders who cannot get what they want for the people as they are always being shut out by the BN leadership.

"Every day we can see them arguing and being scolded... is this helping the people?" he asked.

"If it was me, I would have left (the BN) in 24 hours. Those who still want to remain in BN are only fighting for their selves.

"In BN, some party presidents want to meet the prime minister and chief minister only because they want to protect their positions in the government," he said.

SAPP has two state and two parliamentary seats and was a BN component party until two years ago when it ditched the ruling coalition government to become the opposition.

SAPP has made it clear that while it would not be joining the Peninsula-based opposition alliance Pakatan Rakyat, there is room for discussion because the party main aims is to take over the state government and reclaim the autonomous power it once had in the 1970s.

LDP link plot to oust Musa Aman

Sabah Umno deputy chief Datuk Salleh Tun Said disclosed that certain leaders of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) are in cohoots with certain quarters to topple Sabah Barisan Nasional chairman cum Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman.

He warned that Sabah BN would not be intimidated by any attempt to hold the coalition at ransom by mounting a veiled threat on its Chairman-cum-Chief Minister.

"We are prepared to face the worst challenge," he said in a statement in ota Kinabalu on Saturday.

Salleh, a former Chief Minister, also questioned the rationale behind LDP Deputy President Datuk Chin Su Phin's outrage on Tuesday, claiming that it was part of an ongoing plot to oust Musa.

He was also convinced that there were "hidden hands" behind it.
"We believe there are people behind it and we know what they are up to, but we in Sabah BN will not allow them to achieve their selfish agenda by mounting a personal attack on Musa.

"I have reliably learnt that certain LDP leaders are in cahoots with certain quarters to topple Musa, and that they even plan to request Prime Minister-cum-BN Chairman Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to have Musa removed," he said.

However, Salleh believed not all LDP leaders concurred with Chin's statement that LDP could no longer work with Musa.

In a shocking announcement, Chin was quoted as saying that the party could no longer work with Musa but would continue to support and work together with Umno in the ruling coalition, and expressed full support for the Prime Minister and his 1Malaysia vision.

"We believe the majority of LDP leaders are rational and wise enough to differentiate what is right and what is not, especially when the issues raised by Chin concerned other people's personal interest.

"It would be a different case if the issues raised were of public interest," Salleh said.

As such, he advised LDP leaders not to be easily manipulated by others for their selfish agenda. Salleh is also confident that all other State BN component parties will continue to rally behind Musa, saying the latter had proven his leadership in steering the State since he became Chief Minister in 2003.

My Say:

Coming from a respected leader, what Salleh said could be true and he is fully aware of who are the `certain quarters' working hand-in-hand with the LDP leaders. Sooner of latter, this all will be made public knowlegde.

It will be no surprise if this `certain quarters' turned out to be `certain Sabah Umno leaders'.