Sabah BN powerless on DCM issue
Kota Kinabalu, May 5, 2009: Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) is powerless
when its come to making decision on crucial matter, in particular,
the position of the Deputy Chief Minister slotted for the Chinese
community, said Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Information Chief
Chong Pit Fah.
He said not only the BN leaders in Sabah including all component
parties have no such power but they also depends on Federal leaders
especially the Prime Minister to solve such issue, which is vital to
the State.
"This shows that BN leaders in Sabah have no autonomy and the Chief
Minister who have the prerogative on that matter also seen eroding,"
he said in a statement here today in response to report that Deputy
Chief Minister-cum-Infrastructure Development Minister Datuk Raymond
Tan and Elopura Assemblyman Au Kam Wah are joining Gerakan, a
Peninsular-based BN component party.
He said it is also a shame to Sabah BN when they needed Datuk Seri
Najib Tun Razak and Gerakan national Chairman Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu
Koon to come over here to solve the Deputy Chief Minister issue when
Raymond and Au became partyless after SAPP pulled out of the BN
coalition six months ago.
"So, there is no wonder Sabah BN leaders also unable to solve
matters that very important to the basic needs of the people like
problems concerning the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, constant
electricity failures and to stop the coal-power plant from being
built at East Coast or anywhere in Sabah as well as the huge
presence of illegal immigrants here," he added.
He said it is pity when BN leaders in the State are putting
positions above the interests of the people resulting thousands of
Sabahans become poor and hard core poor even when there are abundant
resources and when Sabah was the riches state in the country few
years back.
Dr. Koh announced today that Raymond and Au have joined Gerakan and
the announcement was made minutes before Najib's arrival for the
meet-the-people session at Padang Merdeka here.
The Gerakan boss thanked Raymond and Au for choosing the party as
the political platform to continue their struggle with the BN and
said that both would hand over their application forms soon.
Najib who is also BN chairman and Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri
Musa Aman had been informed of Raymond and Au's decision.
Raymond was reported to have said: "I have chosen Gerakan because
Gerakan is a safe home and it is the home that I have been looking
for".
The SAPP Information Chief further said that Raymond decided to join
Gerakan simply to save his Deputy Chief Minister and Infrastructure
Minister posts, and not in the interests of the well being of the
people especially those who voted him under SAPP ticket during the
general election in March.
Chong said Raymond make the sudden but expected move because many
Sabah BN component parties especially LDP had call for his sacking
after becoming partyless.
LDP called for Raymond's head because the component deemed his
position unethical and detrimental to the effectiveness of the BN
Government.
According to Chong, Gerakan is the only BN component party that is
willing to accept him.
Chong said that Raymond had claimed that he won his Tanjong Papat
State seat under BN ticket and that is his only reasons for refusing
to resign.
However, Raymond had in September last year during SAPP Supreme
Council meeting had stated that he would resign from the State
Cabinet within 24 hours of SAPP being out of the BN. |
