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 Seri 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.
The former member of parliament for Gaya (now known as Kota KInabalu) 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 the ones twisting everything and even facts like the amount of fine handed to Yong for the minor offence for the 1990 Nomination Day march,” he said.
Philip said the SAPP president together with four 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 disqualify them which would cause a by-election.
Other cases were Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) president Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan who was only fined RM1,800 and Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s MP Tian Chua.
Philip said Edward could say anything he likes 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 had even been delayed and postponed and now Edward is talking like he knows better than the judge,” 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,
“If Edward and DAP Sabah want to discredit Datuk Yong Teck Lee and SAPP and sever the oppositions’ relationship, they should find better issues and not keep harping on something which had been explained over and over again and, they should get their facts right unless they choose to project their own foolishness,” said Philip.