KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) on Monday vehemently denied any working relationship with the Barisan Nasionl (BN).
Its secretary-general, Datuk Richard Yong, said DAP Sabah state advisor Hiew King Cheu had made another false accusation against SAPP that the party was not campaigning against Barisan Nasional but picking on DAP.
“While Hiew was complaining SAPP is not attacking BN, he was hurling more accusations at SAPP, the way that he talked is really ‘upside down’.
“Hiew had been accusing us of collaborating with the BN and spreading rumours and cheap lies on SAS (Saham Amanah Sabah) and about receiving RM80 million in their desperate attempts to tarnish the reputation of SAPP,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Richard added Hiew himself had been picking on SAPP president Datuk Yong Teck Lee and SAPP all this time in coffee shops and wherever he went but not attacking the BN.
“Why he is so desperately trying to prevent Sabah from gaining autonomy, land for the landless, 999-year land titles and Sabah ICs which are the core of SAPP’s political struggle?” he asked.
Richard who is the SAPP’s candidate for N.17 Tanjong Aru constituency, added Hiew could clarify and deny all these if he so wished, tell the people that he had not been making false accusations against SAPP leaders.
“At one time DAP national vice chairman Datuk Teng Chang Khim had even accused SAPP of bringing Umno into Sabah.
“In fact Umno came to Sabah in 1990 after PBS left the BN when SAPP was not even formed yet. SAPP was formed in 1994.
“Has rumour mongering and making false accusations become a DAP’s culture?
“Why DAP gave away the traditional Chinese seats of Merotai and Tanjong Aru to PAS, why DAP fielded its candidates in constituencies that it has no grassroots and support such as Putatan and Sepanggar? What is the motive?” questioned Richard.
Hiew said in a statement on Sunday that he was puzzled as to why SAPP and its leaders kept hammering the DAP Sabah leaders and not the BN.
“It is totally not understandable that the BN people are so silent over SAPP as if they are having close brotherly relations and ties. Maybe the BN and SAPP are still ‘closely connected’. This sounds more like ‘I help you – You help me’!” said the DAP’s Luyang candidate.