SAPP Kota Kinabalu/Penampang 2014 Branches AGM

KOTA KINABALU - In preparation for its party congress on 30 and 31 August, the Kota Kinabalu and Penampang Zone of SAPP will be launching its branches annual general meetings this Sunday at the Hakka Hall in Tanjong Lipat, Likas with members from the party divisions at Inanam, Karambunai, Likas, Api Api, Luyang, Tanjong Aru, Kapayan and Moyog," said the Zone Chairman Datuk Liew Teck Chan.

"Starting at 1pm, the launching will be officiated by veteran politician Datuk Hj. Mohammed Nor Mansoor. Registration is open at 12 noon," said Liew.

RCI delays among hot issues

In a related statement, SAPP Information Chief Chong Pit Fah, said that this year's agenda is likely to include the suspicious delays in the public release of the RCI report on illegals, the controversial GST, the continuing land grabs, the threats to the public lands like the central market and Tanjong Aru beach, rising crimes, costs of living, the long overdue SAS fiasco and other broken promises of the BN government.

Oil royalty

The success of the campaign for more oil royalties to Sabah and Sarawak has encouraged SAPP members that its party struggle for Sabah autonomy is vindicated, said Chong. "The 20% oil royalties was a key demand of SAPP in its 2008 declaration when it voiced no confidence against the then Prime Minister, followed by motions in parliament and the Sabah assembly. SAPP's struggle for Sabah autonomy has succeeded in making "Sabah Autonomy" the mainstream issue," said Chong.

Malayan parties' racial and religious extremism not for Sabah

"Adding to the resurgence of morale of SAPP members is the open disarray and internal strife within both the BN and the Pakatan. The PAS-inspired repeated actions of Pakatan State Governments against non-Muslims in Selangor and Penang, the chaos in PKR elections, the implosion of Sabah DAP, the dominance of racial and religious extremism in Malaya show that these Malayan parties are not fit to be in Sabah.

The defections of DAP assemblyman Dr. Hiew King Chiew and PKR assemblymen Jelani Hamdan and Jeremy Malajad have similarly vindicated SAPP that Pakatan parties are not reliable. Like the case of Dr. Hiew, even before the 2013 elections, Pakatan leaders already knew about Hiew's vulnerability to defect. Yet Pakatan not only fielded him as a candidate but also promised Sabahans that Hiew and other candidates are reliable and principled. This is a broken promise that Pakatan leaders have yet to apologise for.

Local parties like STAR, SAPP and others are already joining forces to forge a combined local opposition, revealed Chong.