Slighted by Anwar, SAPP out in the cold

By Luke Rintod of FMT
KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) appears to have parted ways with Pakatan Rakyat after initially showing signs of building ties with the peninsula-based opposition coalition.

The fallout stems from PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim informing SAPP president Yong Teck Lee that Pakatan was now bringing in Lajim Ukin and Wilfred Bumburing as his new trusted warlords in Sabah.

That decision was made known last month in a meeting room at a hotel here when Anwar met Yong and Jeffrey Kitingan, the Sabah chapter chairman of Sarawak-based State Reform Party (STAR).

Since then, Yong has not appeared at Pakatan functions unlike in the past when he made an effort to attend nor has he sent senior members to represent the party at such events.

His latest snub of a Pakatan function was the Sept 15 gathering in Tuaran of Pakatan’s top leaders to mark the 49th anniversary of Malaysia Day.

In the past, Yong would have been loath to miss an event like that since Sept 16, 1963, date of the formation of Malaysia, has been high on SAPP’s agenda. However, he did not even send a junior party leader to the function hosted by Lajim and Bumburing in the grounds of a restaurant.

The event was staged to show Sabahans that Pakatan leaders empathised with them about how Sabah and Sarawak were equal partners with Malaya in the formation of Malaysia but had since been reduced in status equivalent to those of the peninsular states.

Yong would not have wanted to ignore this gesture as among those present with Anwar were PAS president Hadi Awang, Penang Chief Minister and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim along with senior Pakatan component party leaders Tian Chua, Mohamad Sabu, Mustaffa Ali, Husam Musa and many others.

The fracturing of ties can be traced to the closed-door meeting with Anwar last month when, as soon as the brief meeting ended, Yong left with his waiting SAPP colleagues to his residence near here.

Shortly later, Yong issued a statement that his party was interested in contesting in Sepanggar, Penampang and Kota Kinabalu.

He specifically mentioned the three parliamentary seats that Pakatan component DAP is eyeing, which is regarded as a direct challenge to the coalition’s influence in the state.

Anwar’s new warlords

DAP is the incumbent in Kota Kinabalu through Hiew King Chew, a former SAPP man himself who quit to join DAP.

According to the political grapevine, Yong and Jeffrey are irked by the inclusion of Lajim and Bumburing in the opposition equation and Anwar’s declaration that Pakatan now has five components with APS (Angkatan Perubahan Sabah) and PPS (Pakatan Perubahan Sabah) joining PKR, DAP and PAS.

APS is headed by Bumburing while PPS by Lajim. The two were in the meeting room with “guests” Yong and Jeffrey along with PKR vice-president Tian Chua and DAP MP Teresa Kok and Anwar’s aides. No one from PKR Sabah was present.

Yong and Jeffrey were accompanied by senior leaders from their parties but they were not included in the meeting with Anwar.

According to those familiar with discussions, Anwar signalled that APS and PPS would be the main players in Sabah, even duplicating some of Sabah PKR’s role and the message to Yong and Jeffrey was “we now have them, so are you coming in or not?” or more bluntly “we can do without you”.

The meeting lasted only 20 minutes, according to insiders who said that Yong was also irked by Lajim’s condescending tone after the meeting when he allegedly told the SAPP president that he could help deliver Lahad Datu constituency to SAPP.

The assumption that Yong and his party would need outside help in his own hometown was seen as a slight, according to party insiders.

Two days after the meeting with Anwar, Yong and his men turned up at the United Borneo Alliance (UBA) fourth meeting to meet Jeffrey.

Some have taken that as a signal that SAPP could be working with Jeffrey’s STAR instead to counter the Pakatan-Lajim-Bumburing tie-up.

Greed vs unity

UBA is a loose alliance of Borneo-based groups that Jeffrey has been trying to stitch together and its membership comprises STAR and the remnants of Usno.

Observers said both SAPP and STAR are trying to be the main opposition force in the state and wrapping themselves in the cloak of a freer and independent Sabah that they promote as the Borneo Agenda and Sabah for Sabahans.

If STAR’s slogan is “Ini kali lah” (Now is the time), SAPP’s is “Sekaranglah” (It is Now).

Even Pakatan has latched on to the popular catchphrase with Anwar shouting it out thrice at the Tuaran function during his speech.

The behind-the-scenes political tussles appear to show that while Pakatan, SAPP and STAR are united in dethroning the Umno-led BN government, their inability to temper their yearning to be the dominant party to fill the vacuum left by the outgoing party may be their undoing.

When contacted by FMT for his comment, SAPP supreme council member, lawyer Peter Marajin, said that from his observation, Yong was frustrated with Anwar.

“I think Yong is frustrated with Anwar because he now shifted his eyes to Lajim as a new ‘taiko’ for Sabah, completely forgetting his 40 [state] seats promise [to Yong and SAPP],” he said.

27 comments:

  1. SAPP is nothing but a loser.

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    Replies
    1. Indeed. A loser party yet stubborn.

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    2. Tidak patut SAPP menyokong PR. Kerana PR cuma menjadikan SAPP sebagai boneka untuk menarik pengundi.

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    3. Kalau kita lihat sendiri pun kenapa Anwar tidak memberikan kabinet bayangan sekrang ini. Kerana takut SAPP dan STAR akan menentang mereka.

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    4. Lucu betul pembangkan ni kan.. Tapi namanya juga pembangkang, tak hairanlah kalau ada saja dorang mahu bangkang. hihi

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  2. Biasalah SAPP ni suka buat cerita.

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  3. Well well, if YTL is frustrated with Anwar then Pakatan won't be working with them.

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    Replies
    1. All them have different agendas. How to cooperate?

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  4. Kalau macam tu, angan2 Anwar nak tawan Sabah.

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    1. Mustahil lah Anwar dapat tawan Sabah. Rakyat pasti tidak akan sokong dia. Kalau ada pun mungkin tak sebanyak yang sokong BN.

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    2. PR sukar nak menang di Sabah. BN kuat di Sabah.

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  5. Replies
    1. Back off Jeffrey, Yong, Bumburing, Lajim etc.

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  6. I feel pity with Yong and SAPP. Hahaha!!

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  7. Yong and SAPP are too greed. They know they won't win but refuse to accept the fact.

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    Replies
    1. Dorang suka konsep belum cuba belum tahu. hahhaa

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  8. Bila cakap pasal politik kan, macam bikin panas sajalah.

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  9. Pedulilah drama ni. Kita tunggu saja apa yang akan terjadi next GE nanti.

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  10. DCM Yahya Hussin has brushed aside SAPP president Yong Teck Lee's recent allegation that Sabah's phantom voters was due to Umno's selfish attitude.

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    Replies
    1. Umno was not linked to the phantom voters, the party had nothing to do with the job of the Election Commission.

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  11. dalam pilihan raya kecil di Batu Sapi. Calon BN menang dengan majoriti 6,359 undi mengalahkan Datuk Yong Teck Lee, pemimpin parti pembangkang SAPP.

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    Replies
    1. YTL memperolehi undi paling sedikit daripada tiga calon,SAPP hanya mendapat 2,031 undi dan hampir hilang deposit. Datin Linda Tsen, calon BN daripada PBS memperolehi 9,777 undi.

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    2. Melalui kemenang di Batu Sapi ialah PBS masih mendapat sokongan dan rasa hormat daripada pengundi Cina

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    3. keputusan ini memperlihatkan Yong dah ditolak rakyat.

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  12. Deputy Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Maglin D'Cruz opined that Malaysia cannot get any better and will only get worse if the Opposition were to take over the federal administration.

    Questioning and at the same time doubting the capasity of the opposition to bring positive change to the country, D'cruz affirmed that the Barisan Nasional has years of experience and has brought the country to such great heights.

    I believe that the Opposition only knows how to manipulate others, including the youth for their personel gain rather than the overall benefit of the nation as a whole.

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  13. I think that if the Opposition were to come into power, Malaysia would crumble as none of the opposition leaders had experience, and most of them practised nepotism.

    D'Cruz has a point on this matter. Just look at Anwar (opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) and Kit Siang (DAP Ipoh Timor MP Lim Kit Siang) ... they are all waiting for their next in line to take over so they can continue to manipulate the people with their lies.

    On the contrary, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was the son of a former prime minister and had plenty of experience in administering the country.Najib came up through hard work and dedication and has over the years gathered so much of experience and knowledge. having said that, there is no one better than him to lead us.

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  14. perlu kita tau, parti keadilan dulu ditubuhkan kerana nak perjuangkan Anwar. ia bukan parti untuk rakyat.

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