Sapp welcomes PKR overtures

The Sabah Progressive Party (Sapp)  has responded  positively on the latest overture  from Parti Keadilan Nasional (PKR) for talks on joint opposition preparations for the next general elections.

Its president and former chief minister Yong Teck Lee in a statement to Malaysiakini today said: “The most sensible part of the election preparations is to agree that the election should be a one-to-one contest against the might of the BN machinery because we must not underestimate the will power of the BN and Umno to stay in power at all costs and using all tricks.”

The Sapp leader said this during a lunch meeting with PKR state liaison chairperson Azmin Ali. With him was his deputy and MP for Sepanggar Eric Majimbu.

Yong said the party supreme council at its meeting on June 13 has identified three main challenges to an opposition victory:

• Money politics whereby the BN has overwhelming advantage in all constituencies.

• Illegal immigrants voters.

• The use of phantom votes and postal ballots in marginal constituencies whereby votes have been cast in the names of non-existent voters, such as the examples shown in the election petition trial of the Sandakan MP last year.

He said other relevant concerns are the lack of a common platform on both national and Sabah issues among Pakatan parties and Sapp such as autonomy for Sabah, the PAS-Umno unity talks, the vastly divergent ideologies of PAS and DAP on nation-building issues and the PAS claim to the prime ministership.

BN losing support among the people

“On the positive side, the BN is fast losing support among the people over a range of issues such as the economy and economic mismanagement, crime and social problems, racial polarisation and religious bigotry and a general lack of direction at the top of the nation’s leadership.”

He said the 1Malaysia Concept has failed to catch the people’s imagination and instead became the butt of jokes among the people.

Past excesses of the BN administration are catching up with the current government such as the collapse of the Terengganu stadium and other building failures, the Port Klang Free Zone scandal, the Perak fiasco and falling education standards.

The former chief minister said that in Sabah, the failure to resolve the Queen Elizabeth hospital crisis, the controversial coal power plantproposal, the piping of the state’s natural gas to Petronas Bintulu liquefied natural gas plant, escalating costs of living, poverty and the illegal immigrant problem, continue to plague the people.

The Labuan Bridge proposal is at a dead end whereas Johore might be getting a third bridge and Penang a second bridge, he said.

Yong added that both the relaxation of the Cabotage Policy and the announcement of RM245 million to buy the Sabah Medical Centre turned out to be mere public relations exercise without any real benefits to the people.

Tony Thien, Mkini