SAPP hoping to ensure straights fights in GE

Azman Habu

SAPP willing to help Pakatan Rakyat secure parliamentary seats while it eyes majority of state seats.

TAWAU: Sabah Progressive Party’s (SAPP) Merotai branch hopes to see a straight fight for state and parliamentary seats in the coming 13th general election.

Kenneth Goh, the newly-appointed branch chairman, said SAPP would work with Pakatan Rakyat to ensure a one-on-one fight in the constituency and in parliamentary seats.

This was one of two resolutions passed by 150 members of the branch from Kampung Sin San, Kuhara Road, Kampung Pitas and Hotspring Road at its AGM here on Sunday.

Goh, who is also a member of SAPP supreme council, said: “The members do not want to see three-cornered fights.

“They decided that the majority of parliament seats be given to Pakatan while SAPP goes for the majority of state’s seats in the coming 13th general election.

“This is to ensure a straight fight between the opposition and Barisan Nasional (BN).”

Goh said they chose the majority of the parliament seats to be given to Pakatan so as to help it on quest to Putrajaya, and SAPP will assist in the campaigning.

However, SAPP is eyeing the majority of the state seats.

He said the resolution reached by the grassroots of Merotai SAPP branches will be brought to SAPP congress to be deliberated on a date to be determined by the SAPP supreme council.

The AGM was also attended by SAPP treasurer-general Wong Yit Ming who said as long as SAPP wins, it’s a loss for BN and a win for Pakatan.

“So we have to work together and continue for a one-on-one fight. We support Pakatan’s ambition to capture Putrajaya,” he said.

However he said Sabah cannot be under Pakatan and its two party system, as it is different in terms of people culture. He gave examples where Pakatan led state’s policies were similar to BN’s.

“In Penang under the DAP/PR government, the policy is like BN’s. Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng is a good minister but the system is more or less BN’s.

“Ninty-eight percent of projects are awarded to Bumiputera contractors. DAP has always been fair, but they still use the Bumi system,” he said.

SAPP-Pakatan coalition

He said in Sabah, when SAPP leader Yong Teck Lee was the chief minister, a lot of projects were awarded to non-bumiputeras and local leaders did not raise any objections.

“Of the 20,000 low cost housing built, 40% given was to Chinese chamber of commerce, 30% to Bumiputeras and 30% to Kadazans. This does not happen in West Malaysia,” he said.

Touching on the recent raid by JAIS on a church in Selangor, he said this too, does not happen in Sabah but will happen if Pakatan leads the government here.

“In Sabah you can see Muslims having tea with non Muslims at kopitiams, many non Muslims helping Muslims. All this you will not see in West Malaysia,” he said, insisting on autonomy.

Wong said DAP’s Teresa Kok had talked about giving eight plots of land to Chinese schools in Selangor but after three years this had still not happened.

“When Yong was CM he gave five acres of land to a Tawau Chinese school in Kampung Titingan and now the school is generating income,” he said.

He stressed that all these may not happen if Pakatan takes over Sabah.


Tawau MP Chua Soon Bui, the SAPP vice-president, in her speech said the party has declared that it will work closely and support Pakatan.

Chua said Yong had on numerous occasions said SAPP wanted to work with Pakatan but maintained that the party insisted on autonomy for Sabah.

She said as SAPP hopes to go for state’s seats, Pakatan will work together with SAPP and help to change the government through a SAPP-Pakatan coalition.

“It is a win-win strategy for the people. No doubt the two party system vision of Pakatan has gained momentum in the peninsula but Pakatan must know the complexity and political background in Sabah, and as a local party SAPP is fighting for one country two systems and maintain the state’s autonomy,” she said.