GE13: Pakatan sabotaging SAPP's chances

KOTA KINABALU - Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee accused Pakatan Rakyat (PR) of sabotaging its chances of winning by fielding candidates in constituencies which SAPP is contesting, although PR has little or no influence in these constituencies.

He cited for example, PR is fielding their candidates in such constituencies like Sepangar, Putatan and Inanam where SAPP candidates are contesting.

In Sepanggar parliament constituency, DAP is fielding Jeffrey Kumin who faces SAPP vice president Don Chin Hon Kiong, and in Putatan DAP is fielding Joseph Lee Han Kyun who faces SAPP Treasurer-general Dullie Marie, while in Inanam state constituency, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) is fielding its Secretary for Sabah Dr Roland Chia who will clash with SAPP former MP for Sepangar Datuk Eric Majimbun.

"Pakatan Rakyat leaders like Lim Kit Siang had recently acknowledged that Pakatan can't win in Sabah and yet they decided to contest in Sepanggar which is traditionally fought by SAPP and Umno. The same with Putatan and Inanam. The motive is to split the Chinese votes there so as to make Umno/BN win," he said.

He contended that Dr Roland has no business to be in Inanam since his base is in Kepayan all these while.

"Originally, he (Dr Roland) wanted to contest in Kepayan but the seat was grabbed by DAP candidate Dr Edwin Bosi, desperate to become a candidate, he decided to settle for Inanam.

We should reject such a candidate," he said.

Meanwhile, in her brief speech, SAPP wanita chief Melanie Chia pointed out that despite the hostile and mischievous treatment from PR, SAPP has kept its promise of backing PR to capture Putrajaya, by focusing in contesting the state seats, while leaving majority of the parliamentary seats to PR.

She cited for example, although SAPP is contesting the Tanjung Papat and Elopura state seats which it won previously, it nonetheless decided to leave the Sandakan parliamentary seat to PR/DAP to contest. Similarly in Kota Kinabalu, it decided not to contest the parliamentary seat except for the state seats of Luyang, Likas and Inanam.

"This clearly shows that SAPP is a party of principle and is trustworthy," she said.

Of the 25 parliamentary constituencies, SAPP is only contesting for 8 of them, namely Kudat, Kota Marudu, Sepangar, Putatan, Kimanis, Sipitang, Tenom and Tawau.