BN members still fighting over SAPP seats

 

By Joseph Bingkasan of Free Malaysia Today

| October 30, 2012

          

The Sepanggar parliamentary seat which BN component parties are tussling over will be an easy win as there are 3,000 registered postal voters.

 

KOTA KINABALU: Barisan Nasional coalition members are scrambling to claim constituencies won by their former colleague Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) in the last general election.

Leaders of Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), United Pasok Mompogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko), Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS), Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and BN’s backbone Umno have all thrown their hats in the ring for their members to contest the MP seats of Sepanggar, Tawau and the state seats of Likas and Luyang.

SAPP, now in the opposition holds the two parliamentary seats through party deputy president Eric Majimbun (Sepanggar) and vice president Chua Soon Bui (Tawau) while Liew Teck Chan and Melanie Chia are the state assembly representatives for Likas and Luyang.

All four had won the seats on BN ticket but the party led by former chief minister Yong Teck Lee quit the coalition on Sept 7, 2008.

PBS president Deputy Chief Minister Joseph Pairin Kitingan has announced that his party has applied to BN chairman, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, to register the mixed constituency of Sepanggar seat under PBS.

Pairin is basing the party’s claim ahead of other BN coalition aspirants on the shaky premise that PBS enjoys huge support in the constituency.

SAPP proved their contention a fallacy in the Nov 9, 1999 election. The constituency was then known as Gaya. Yong defeated PBS candidate Johnny Goh Chin Lok, now the Inanam assemblyman, 15,315 votes to 11,198 votes. Third candidate Hamzah Abdullah of PAS only managed 729 votes.

However, PBS is this time also in a skirmish with Upko head Bernard Dompok, Pairin’s archival for the Kadazandusun political crown.

Dompok who is the Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister announced the party’s claim to the Sepanggar also on the basis of enjoying huge support in the constituency.

The last time Upko’s strength was tested was in the March, 1999 election where its candidate Christine Van Houten, a former civil servant, was defeated in the state constituency of Inanam. The constituency together with Karambunai is within the Sepanggar parliamentary constituency.

BN minnows, PBRS, headed by Joseph Kurup and LDP whose president Liew Vui Kiong is Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department have also established bases in Sepanggar but unlike PBS, Upko and Umno, they are not active in the area.

Easier seat for BN

Umno, the main party in the the Sabah BN coalition, can be said to have the upper hand in any tussle among coalition members to contest Sepanggar.

Its divisional head Jumat Idris, is seen as a close aide of Chief Minister Musa Aman, the Sabah BN chief. Idris is also the BN chairman for the constituency.

Incumbent Majimbun is rumoured to be all set to move into state politics by contesting in his home constituency of Inanam.

Majimbun, who is SAPP deputy president, however also disclosed that his party would nevertheless field a candidate to defend Sepanggar.

The Sepanggar MP seat is said to be one of the easier seats for the BN to wrest from the opposition irrespective of who in the BN coalition gets the nod to be the candidate.

Political pundits say the electoral balance is tipped against the opposition here given that there are about 3,000 postal votes registered in Sepanggar.

According to them, based on past election results, postal voters by and large have always proved to be ‘government supporters’.

This is more so in Sepanggar where there is a naval base as it has also been seen in the past that constituencies with a large military presence have always elected a BN candidate.

In the last general election, BN contested in all the 25 MP and 60 state seats. It was a landslide victory for the coalition who only lost the Kota Kinabalu parliamentary and Sri Tanjong state seat to DAP.

However a series of subsequent defections right up to a month ago has allowed the opposition to make further in-roads in the BN’s ‘fixed-deposit’ state.

Meanwhile, apart from the seats now held by SAPP, seat allocation for the Sabah BN members has almost been settled, according to Dompok.

Opening Upko Beaufort division delegate conference over the weekend, he said there was no more problem in seats allocation as all the component parties had been informed of the seats they will be contesting in the elections.

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.

Najib in Sabah

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak will make a two-day official visit to Sabah starting Saturday.

Najib, who will be accompanied by his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, is scheduled to open three meetings of Barisan Nasional component parties in Sabah during the visit.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman told reporters here on Friday that Najib would open the Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) congress at a hotel upon arrival in Kota Kinabalu.

On Sunday, he would attend the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) congress at 1Borneo, near here, have lunch with Sabah Umno leaders and open the United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko) national convention at the Penampang Cultural Centre hall before returning to Kuala Lumpur. - Bernama

A study on the 13th State Election's Trend

United Sabah Dusun Association (USDA) will carry out a-one-year study on the trend of the March 8, 2008 State Election. Although it will only be officially launched on Sept 15, 2009, the exercise begin tomorrow (Sept 9, 2009).

The launching will be held in conjunction with the USDA's Malaysia Day Count Down at Padang Suworoh, Selupoh in Tuaran beginning 7.30pm.

According to the association's president Datuk Kalakau Untol, the study would be conducted throughout Sabah. USDA hopes to present a report, based on the study, on how the `people power' through the ballot boxes determined the mandate to Barisan Nasional (BN) to continue governing Sabah.

In last year's election, BN comprising of Umno, PBS, UPKO, LDP, SAPP, MCA and PBRS, won 59 of the 60 state's seats and 24 of the 25 parliamentary constituencies. The DAP, a Kuala Lumpur-based Opposition party, won one MP seat and a State constituency.

SAPP, however, pulled out from the coalition in September last year, bring along with them two MPs and two State seats.

LDP: DCM post should be given to MCA

Sabah-based Barisan Nasional component party, Liberal Democratic Parti (LDP), said the Sabah Deputy Chief Minister post now held by Datuk Raymond Tan Shu Kiah should be given to Sabah MCA's Datuk Edward Khoo Keok Hai.

LDP's Youth chief Chin Shu Ying said even though Tan had joined Parti Gerakan, it should not be automatic that he continue to be Sabah Deputy Chief Minister. Tan quit Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) when the party led by Datuk Yong Teck Lee pulled out from BN on Sept 17, last year.

Tan, the assemblyman for Tanjong Papat, and ex-SAPP Youth chief Au Kam Wah, who is also Elopura assemblyman, joined Peninsula-based Parti Gerakan two days ago.

In a statement, Chin said MCA deserved the Deputy Chief Minister post for the Chinese quota in Sabah because it is the largest Chinese-based party in Malaysia and has a longer history of serving the people of Sabah than Parti Gerakan.

He said LDP fully support that MCA should be given the Deputy Chief Minister post. In the March 8, 2008 general elections, MCA fielded one candidate Datuk Edward Khoo. He won the Kepayan state seat and was made an Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister's Department.

LDP: Will speak up against BN leaders if....

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has come to the defence of its president, Datuk VK Liew, who has been accused of picking a fight with the state government.
“It is unfair to say that Datuk VK Liew is picking a fight with the state government. We are fighting for the government and we dare to tell the top leaders within the Barisan Nasional (BN) if we feel something is not right,” said LDP vice pre-sident Isaac Pang told reporters in Sandakan.
"We do not want the people lose hope and confidence in BN. We want them to trust and give more support to the BN leadership,” he added.
He said the LDP had been sincere in fighting for the benefit of the people for the past 20 years and being the oldest component member in the Sabah BN, it had not only tirelessly supported BN but also voiced its concern for the sake of the rakyat.
Pang, who is also the LDP Tanjung Papat division chairman, was replying to the accusation made by Sandakan Umno Chief Datuk Seri Ampong Puyon when the LDP Supreme Council had unanimously in its meeting last Sunday decided to demand the resignation of Datuk Raymond Tan as the Deputy Chief Minister as he was partyless then.
Raymond, who quit from Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) after the party left the BN last year, has joined Peninsular-based Gerakan.
Pang explained that what LDP was doing was only to raise its concerns over issues which may be detrimental to the support of BN in future in Sabah.
“The precedence started and maintained by Datuk Raymond Tan can be dangerous for the future of Sabah BN,” he pointed out.
Pang also said that Liew had never forgotten the people of Sandakan, including many local Umno members who sought assistance from him.
Sandakan Umno deputy chief Datuk Awang Sham had urged Liew to concentrate on his role as the Member of Parliament of Sandakan by ‘turun padang’ (go down to the ground) and not to cause little quarrels and fighting within the BN family.
Pang explained that Liew as the federal deputy minis-ter, is required to be in Kuala Lumpur but he is always back in Sandakan on a week-ly basis to ‘turun padang’ and serve the people by lis-tening to their views and he is the voice of these people.

More from SAPP

Issued by SAPP headquaters

Kota Kinabalu: The people in Sabah should examine the real motivation behind BN the component parties from Sabah who are frantically calling for the ouster of SAPP from the coalition.

SAPP is of the view that these parties, including PBS and LDP, could not wait for SAPP to be ousted so that they will have the government positions to be vacated by SAPP representatives to dish out to their leaders.

SAPP insists that its intention to move a motion of no confidence in the Prime Minister was not an isolated move to gain notoriety, but in cognizance with its struggle for the rights of Malaysians in Sabah.

That the Prime Minister has been ineffective and paying only lip-service to Sabah's interests is known by and acknowledged by all Malaysians, particularly those parties in Sabah.

BN leaders, including those from Umno, LDP and PBS, have at one time or another gone on record calling on the PM to act more expediently on Sabah issues, including those related to illegal immigrants, regional development imbalances and poverty eradication.

SAPP expects leaders from Sabah who have been appointed to positions in the Federal government not to lose sight of their obligations to the Sabah electorate who make their positions possible.

It is disappointing to the Sabah people that leaders like Dr Maximus Ongkili and Datuk V K Liew have become `federalised' or `domesticated' that they have become apologists for Kuala Lumpur. So eager are they willing to please that a learned and supposedly cultured person like Dr Maximus went on record to describe a component party as a member of the canine species.

SAPP doubts if PBS and LDP still hold to their commitment to fight for Sabah rights and Sabahan interests.

If indeed they still do, they should find commonality with SAPP's move which are aimed at resolving long standing and grave issues. They would have second thoughts about calling for SAPP's blood. Instead, they should acknowledge the fact that (as utterd by PBS Information Chief Johnny Mositun) the parties are pursuing the same objectives through different paths.

SAPP concludes that PBS and LDP's intensity in wanting SAPP sacked from BN, or calling for SAPP to quit the coalition, is a simple act of self preservation.

Dr Chong Eng Liong's case.

PBS supreme council member and a fervent campaigner of the illegal immigrant issue, Dr Chong En Liong, resigned from the party recently because he was told by the PBS leadership to stop talking.

PBS elected representatives and other leaders have been consipcuously quiet in recent weeks. One is inclined to conclude that a gag order has been slapped on them even on issues of Sabah rights.

Is this not a reflection of the PBS wavering on its commitment ? Is it not a clear indication of self preservation?

Increased allocation? where is it?

SAPP would like to alert the people in Sabah to the fact that the recent promises to inject massive development funds into Sabah may just be attempts to pull wool over their eyes in this climate in which a government is rapidly losing the people's trust.

For example, what has become of the RM1 billion promised by the Prime Minister several months ago? Is there any truth that the money has mostly been disbursed through the various Umno divisions in a move to pacify these grassroot leaders and to prevent a revolt in view of the Umno elections this December?

The Minister of Education recently announed RM700 million for education projects in Sabah. This seems a little hard to comprehend in light of recent newspaper reports about children in Kemabong risking their lives to go to school by crossing a river on bamboo rafts! Four consecutive state administrations, including this current one, have failed to give these children the convenience of a suspension bridge costing pershaps just tens of thousands of ringgit; and here we have a promise to inject millions into rural schools.

Look what they are saying now

Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) motion for vote of no confidence against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced by the party president Datuk Yong Teck Lee yesterday. The motion is likely to be tabled by Deputy President and Sepanggar MP Datuk Eric Majimbun when Parliament resume sitting Monday.

Comments:

Parliament Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia: "I have not received any notice for a motion of no confidence against the PM."

PM Abdullah: "SAPP and Yong's action due to the fact that I have not been able to satisfy his (Yong) personal greed."

SAPP Deputy President and Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Raymond Tan who was not present at yesterday's Press conference: "Do not read into my absence. I have also been absent from some of the party's Press conference in the past."
"As far as I am concerned, I don't know about the vote of no confidence against the PM. For heaven's sake, we cannot simply table a motion in Parliament. We are subject to rules and procedures of the august House, and there are requirements to follow."

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) president Datuk V K Liew: " I deplore Yong's action. It is absurd and nonsensical for SAPP to make such move. What has Pak Lah done to SAPP to deserve this kind of treatment."


Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Vice President Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan: " SAPP and Yong's move a brave step that should be supported by everone. I hope there would be more leaders taking a brave stance like SAPP."

Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) president Tan Sri Joseph Kurup: "I am dissapointed over SAPP's wanting to move a vote of no confidence against the Prime Minister.It is unwise for SAPP to put pressure on the PM to resign."

UPKO Information Chief Datuk Bobby Suan: "Rumours that UPKO is quiting BN is not true."

Another Election Petition

Defeated DAP candidate in the Sandakan parliamentary seat Shanty Chong had filed a petition in the Sandakan High Court yesterday seeking order to nullify the victory of Barisan Nasional candidate Datuk V K Liew in the March 8, general elestions.

Liew, who is Liberal Democratic Party's president and is now a Deputy Minister in the Federal Cabinet, won Sandakan polling 8.292 votes against the 8,121 votes garnered by Chong. An Independent candidate David Fong Vun Fui obtained 2,929 votes. Liew won the seat with 186 votes majority.

Liew plus 1,000 others quits LDP

Ex-Sabah Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Liew Yun Fah today resigned as Vice President of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), one of the ruling coalition Barisan Nasional's (BN) Sabah-based component members.

Liew, who is also Merotai assemblyman until the March 8, general elections, is also Merotai LDP head. Following his step are some 1,000 party members together with ex-Vice President Datuk Sia Hiong Ley and Balung divisional chief Raymond Sia.

"With our resignation, the Merotai and Balung divisions are dissolved, " Liew said.

He told the Press at his residence in Tawau that they are still strong supporters of BN and are likely to join a Peninsula-based BN member. Liew confirmed that he had met People Progressive Party's deputy president recently.

"It's a waste of time to stay in the LDP," he said.


My Say:

Looking at the Merotai's result, Soon could had won the seat if it was a straight fight. There were two other Independents and one from Pas. Loners Moktar Ahmad and Salman Nurullah polled 289 and 286 votes, respectively while Pas' Ahmad Abdullah garnered 913 votes.

Liew was not field by his party to defend his seat in the general elections and during the campaign period, he was accused of sabotaging the party by supporting an Independent candidate Soon Ten Fook.

"I campaign hard for the LDP candidate Pang Yuk Ming . If I had campaign for the Independent, Soon could had won, defeated the BN-LDP candidate," he said.

For the record Pang obtained 3,723 votes against the 3,418 polled by Soon. Pang won by just 242vote majority.

Datuk Liew suspended

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), one of the Sabah-based Barisan Nasional component party members, today suspended one of its Vice President Datuk Liew Yun Fah, who was also wx-Youth and Sports Minister, for allegedly acting against the party in the March 8, general elections.

LDP President Datuk V K Liew, in announcing this after chairing the party's supreme council meeting, also announced that LDP Merotai Division which is also headed by Datuk Liew Yun Fah was also suspended.

V K Liew said Datuk Liew Yun Fah and the others had been issued with show cause letters which they must respond within 10 days, failing which they would be expelled from the party.


My Say:

This latest move by LDP only confirmed speculation that Datuk Liew Yun Fah did `sponsored' an Independent to contest against LDP's Peter Pang Yuk Ming after he was not re-nominated by LDP to defend the Merotai seat. Datuk Liew Yun Fah won the seat in 2004.

More surprises

UPKO, Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) and Liberal Democratic Parti (LDP) are the last Barisan Nasional component parties to announce their candidates for the March 8 general elections.

Surprises were aplenty.

UPKO president Tan Sri Bernard Dompok decided to contest in Penampang (his hometown) replacing incumbent MP Donald Mojuntin who will be contesting the Moyog state seat replacing incumbent assemblyman Philip Lasimbang. Dompok's MP seat of Ranau will now be contested by ex-assemblyman Datuk Saringan Gubat.

Another of UPKO's surprise is the dropping of Datuk Wilfred Madius Tangau in place of ex-assemblyman Datuk Wilfred Mojilip Bumburing to defend the Tuaran MP seat.

Over in PBRS, its president Tan Sri Joseph Kurup dropped incumbent MP Datuk Bernard Maraat from defending the Pensiangan seat which will be contested by Kurup himself. Kurup said that Maraat was not a `team player' hence being dropped. Kurup seat of Sook will be contested by Datuk Alfred Elron Angin.

And in LDP, its president Datuk V K Liew dropped their Vice President and Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Liew Yun Fah from defending Merotai seat. All the LDP candidates are new with VK Liew himself contesting in Sandakan.

Yesterday, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman also dropped 13 Umno incumbents from defending their seats. Among them are big names in Sabah politics - ex-Chief Minister Datuk Salleh Tun Said, ex-Minister Datuk Amir Kahar Tun Mustapha and ex-Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Pandikar Aman Mulia.

Another surprise is that Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president was not on the list of BN candidates.

My Say:

We just wait for the outcome of the elections to see whether all the changes would be justified.

Chong says count him in

Veteran politician Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat, who resigned as president of his party Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in September last year and subsequently on April 12, this year quit as Deputy Chief Minister, will still be around, politically, come the general elections.

Lawyer Chong, also Sabah's 12th Chief Minister, had announced yesterday that he would be defending his Tanjung Kapur State seat in the coming elections, the seat he won in March 1999. He had actually first won the seat then known as Kudat in 1976 under Parti Berjaya ticket and was the then Chief Minister Datuk Harris Mohd Salleh's Assistant Minister.

Announcing his decision to contest again in the coming election, he told delegates of his LDP Tanjung Kapur division:

"Remember, I never said I would quit politics. I have never quit, politically speaking. Although I relinquished the post of LPD president, I am still the party's divisional chief in Kudat."

"I have a lot more things to accomplish, at least in Kudat."

My Say:

Chong is the second Parti Berjaya-born politician to openly declare defending thier seats in the coming election. Earlier this month, his former collegue in Parti Berjaya Datuk Seri Joseph Pairin Kitingan also announced that he will be defending his Tambunan State seat.

Like Chong, Pairin was also a former Chief Minister and is still one of Sabah's three Deputy Chief Ministers.

The general elections must be just around the corner now.