Ultimatum by DAP to SAPP showed arrogant attitude

KOTA KINABALU, May 29, 2011: SAPP President said he was surprised by the harsh way that DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang had attacked SAPP as being unrealistic and for the ultimatum that SAPP must join PR on the ground that only PR can beat BN.

"As a matter of fact, Sabah DAP chief, Jimmy Wong Sze Phin, had called and sms to invite me to the DAP harvest festival. In order to reciprocate, I invited Jimmy Wong as a guest to my house and we had a nice chat on politics" revealed Yong. "We agreed that it was important that we build up the mutual confidence between SAPP and DAP, to meet Lim Kit Siang at the DAP harvest festival and exhibit goodwill so that the future relationship between SAPP and DAP can be improved" added the ex-Chief Minister.

As a guest at the DAP function, Yong said he did not expect to be issued a public ultimatum by Kit Siang in a harsh manner that put him and his colleagues in an embarrassing situation and their party ridiculed in public.

"Lim caught all of us by surprise by his harsh tone, the abrasive way in pinpointing me by name and ridiculing SAPP. My immediate feeling was that, after their super victories in the April Sarawak state elections, Lim Kit Siang's DAP has already become super confident of taking over Putrajaya and the Sabah state government at the coming general elections" said Yong in an immediate reaction to Lim's speech.

Yong said he wondered if it was because Lim now feels that DAP does not need anybody else, asking if Pakatan alone can beat BN, then why demand that SAPP joins Pakatan?

The SAPP president recalled that at the DAP rally on September 16, 2008 at Kian Kok School in Kota Kinabalu, Lim had called for a Pakatan-plus coalition with SAPP. This means that SAPP need not be a member of the fledgling Pakatan. Yong also spoke at that "916" DAP rally the day before SAPP left the Barisan Nasional government. "Has Lim now unilaterally dropped his own Pakatan-plus formula?", asked Yong.

However, Yong said he still remain hopeful that SAPP's relationship with PKR, DAP and PAS can improve further before the general elections.

"I only hope that the super confidence of DAP leaders will subside in the coming months and realize that their promise of 416 (April 16) change of Sarawak government has failed miserably because "416 change" has turned into a "416 Taib victory", commented Yong.

As a matter of fact, SAPP's legislators have joined the opposition in 2008. But DAP and PKR legislators have gone the other way and joined the BN instead.

The SAPP president reiterated that SAPP wishes to work with Pakatan to bring about a change of government and not a "two parties system" with a Chinese opposition on one side and Bumiputra government on the other, like in Sarawak now.
"SAPP's struggle first and foremost is for autonomy for Sabah. We reject political control over Sabah in the hands of the political elite in KL.

If Sabahans leave politics entirely to BN and PR, then the "two party system" becomes "two parties, one system" does not become "two parties, one system". We believe that the "one country, two systems" concept is more applicable to Malaysia," said Yong.