Shafie's motive doubtful

KOTA KINABALU - Datuk Mohd Shafie Apdal’s motive in fighting for Sabah’s rights is doubtful as this was an issue he only took up after his sacking as Federal minister.

Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) secretary general Datuk Richard Yong said: "Shafie has been very late coming out to fight for Sabah. Everyone knows that he only talked about fighting for Sabah rights after his sacking as a minister. He never had the courage to resign".

“Sabahans know that he has a personal feud with Sabah CM Datuk Musa Hj. Aman and his hidden agenda is to get the Chief Minister’s post,” he said when responding to Pakatan Harapan deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddn Yassin’s statement on Saturday that Shafie had always raised various issues in the Cabinet when he was a minister.

Richard said SAPP leaders on the other hand had been consistent in their struggle for Sabah’s rights and state autonomy and sacrificed their government positions for this.

“SAPP dared to leave Barisan Nasional in 2008. Our Luyang State Assemblyman Melanie Chia resigned her ministerial post while our Likas Assemblyman Datuk Liew Teck Chan also quit his SEDCO position,” he said.

Richard said the party’s MPs - Datuk Eric Majimbun of Sepanggar and Datuk Chua Soon Bui of Tawau - as well as SAPP President Datuk Yong Teck Lee had rejected lucrative offers for various posts.

(Yong was offered Senator post plus a Ministerial-status post as BIMP-EAGA envoy).

He said SAPP information chief Chong Pit Fah had also quit as Penampang District Council Deputy Chairman.

“Many of our leaders and members had also resigned from their respective government appointments such as municipal councillors and local leaders including kapitan and ketua kampung as well as board directors in government-linked companies,” Richard said.

He said it was ironic that while SAPP had declared a no confidence motion against the then Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi a decade ago, Muhyiddin and Shafie were vociferously defending Umno.

“At the same time they were pushing up Najib to replace Abdullah,” Richard added.

He said until now, SAPP and its fellow Gabungan Sabah components continue to fight for Sabah.

“To protect the sanctity of the Sabah Constitution, the honour of the Sabah Legislative Assembly and the dignity of Sabah people, Yong and other GS leaders dared to sue the PM,” he said.

“Where are the PH and Warisan lawyers and leaders who failed to fight BN-UMNO Malaya? They are silent because they are Malaya -controlled and will not fight for Sabah,” Richard said.