Honour principle and let Sabah parties contest majority state seats

SAPP is a party which can be trusted and it will certainly fulfill its pledges contains in its Manifesto if SAPP is given a chance to form the next state government

KOTA KINABALU, April 13, 2013: Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president Datuk Yong Teck Lee in responding to Anwar's sudden, unexpected re-opening of the door to negotiations between PR and SAPP on seats, repeated to Pakatan Rakyat to please honour the principle that Pakatan parties contest more of the parliamentary seats and let Sabah parties contest a majority of Sabah state seats.

"After the dissolution of Parliament April 3, SAPP already reiterated that we do not contest Sandakan MP seat and that SAPP shall retain our 2 incumbent state seats Tg. Papat and Elopura within the Sandakan parliamentary constituency. This would let DAP have an easy win at Sandakan (MP). Regrettably, even this perfect formula has been rejected by DAP which wants to contest the state seats as well," Yong told.

"Further, SAPP maintains our promise made in January 2012 that we do not contest Penampang MP seat. This means SAPP has given PR a free hand to win the 2 MP seats. Actually, SAPP could also contest these 2 MP seats at no extra costs and efforts because SAPP will contest the state seat within these 2 MP areas. Yet SAP and PKR insist to contest ALL the State seats in Sabah PLUS the MP seats.

"DAP Supremo Lim Kit Siang has already admitted that PR cannot win Sabah. So why does PR still want to be a SPOILLER?

"Look at Labuan, where SAPP already declared last year that we will support PKR. Look at Johore, Sarawak, Penang, Perak and other states. Please do not put the blame on SAPP for your troubles.

"SAPP never says we go it alone. It was PPPS's Lajim Ukin, APS's Wilfred Bumburing and PKR's Azmin Ali who said that PR had closed its door to SAPP. But SAPP still keeps its door wide open to let PKR have a straight fight with BN in most of the MP seats.

Pakatan claims that their core principle is that seats which were won by a party at the previous election shall be re-contested by the same party. It is on this same principle that SAPP offers to stay out of Kota Kinabalu MP seat if Pakatan stays out of Luyang and Likas State seats. And therefore, Pakatan should not contest the Sepanggar MP seat (held by SAPP's Datuk Eric Majimbun). As for the Tawau MP seat (held by SAPP's Datuk Chua Soon Bui), the best formula is for SAPP to retain the MP seats while DAP goes back to their Sri Tanjong State seat. But, since Pakatan has to find a place for their Chan Foong Hin (DAP) and Datuk Kong Hon Ming (PKR), on top of keeping incumbent Jimmy Wong Sze Phin, Pakatan has declared to contest both the Tawau MP seat and Sri Tanjong State seat. This is the problem caused by Pakatan parties, especially DAP in Sabah.

Even though PR has declared that it will go it alone in the coming General Election, SAPP still maintains its promise to support Anwar to be the next PM when even PAS still keeps it option open for a PAS PM. Therefore, this truly shows SAPP is a party which keeps its promises when PR has broken the negotiations and promises. This example show that SAPP is a party which can be trusted and it will certainly fulfill its pledges contains in its Manifesto if SAPP is given a chance to form the next state government.

SAPP fights for Sabah Autonomy because Sabah needs to reclaim its autonomy in order to guard its people and protect the natural resources. Autonomy will enable Sabah State Government to negotiate future dealings on equal footings with the Federal Government, and we can also control the influx of immigrants properly, allowing only qualified foreigners to settle in Sabah. When Sabah regains its full autonomy and the terms and conditions within the Malaysian Agreement are truly implemented and honoured, then the claim of Sabah by the Sulu Sultanate will be discouraged and abandoned eventually.