DAP killing co-operation hope

KOTA KINABALU: DAP is killing the co-operation that is being worked out between Pakatan Rakyat (PR) and Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) in the impending General Election.

"Even opposition leader Datuk Anwar Ibrahim said it is not necessary for SAPP to join Pakatan but both can find a way to work together.

"But, it seems that DAP do not want the cooperation between Pakatan and SAPP to happen because they think they can win all the seats and don't intend to share with any other party," said SAPP former Deputy President Datuk Philip Yong. But SAPP will continue to pursue a positive co-operation with PKR, PAS and DAP in order to achieve a straight one-to-one fight against the BN as desired by the people. We don not give up hope of a straight fight against the BN.

The former Member of Parliament for Gaya said he noted Sabah DAP leaders had been making all sorts of statements against SAPP and even claimed the party and its leader Datuk Yong Teck Lee were twisting the facts.

"In fact, the Sabah DAP and its vice chairman, Edward Ewol Mujie are ignorant of the facts like the amount of fine handed to Yong for the minor offence for the 1990 Nomination Day march," he said.

Philip said he (Philip), SAPP president together with three others at that time were fined RM1,000 and not RM1,999 as claimed by Edward.

According to him, it was the court's discretion to determine the amount of fine and for incumbent elected representatives it would not want to give heavier penalty and disqualified them which would cause an by-election.

Other cases were Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) President Joseph Pairin Kitingan who was only fined RM1,800 and Parti Keadilan Rakyat's MP Tian Chua earlier this year.

Philip said Edward could say anything he like about the signboard issue but "what authority does he have to say SAPP is wrong as far as our party's signboard at our headquarters?"

"The case is now before the court but now Edward is talking like he knows better than the court," he said.

"It is rather unfortunate that some Sabah DAP leaders' behaviour is convincingly portraying their role as BN's hit men, attacking a local based party like SAPP.