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.