From sixth left, vice president cum Wanita chief Melanie Chia, Yong and his wife, Stella Yong, and others at the Chinese New Year dinner.
KOTA KINABALU: One day when Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) has a Yang Berhormat (YB), be it four or 10 years later, it will prove that SAPP is a Sabah-based party that never gives up.
SAPP president Datuk Seri Panglima Yong Teck Lee said people had predicted that SAPP would “gulung tikar” (come to an end) after the 13th General Election (GE13).
“Let us all be patient. One day, be it four or 10 years later, when SAPP wins a YB (a constituency), we will be revived,” he said, while urging party members to continue SAPP’s struggle.
“And the people will say that this party, SAPP, is a party that never gives up.”
Yong said this during a Chinese New Year reunion dinner with members and supporters organized by SAPP Luyang Central Liaison Committee (CLC) headed by SAPP vice president cum Wanita chief Melanie Chia on Friday.
Although none of SAPP’s candidates won in the last General Election, he said, this did not dampen the spirits of CLC members in every constituency.
On the other hand, Yong pointed out that some political parties have won in the GE13 but ended up in chaos, with some members even jumping ship.
“The General Election results last year were not pretty, but we saw the party members’ passionate support and that gave Sabahans hope.”
Meanwhile, he said SAPP will be taking a break from holding their Chinese New Year event this year, an event the party had continuously organised for over 20 years.
“SAPP has been holding cultural events in Foh Sang for the past 20 years. When we organized these events, other parties followed suit, and when we stopped organising, they did not do it as well,” Yong said.
He also stressed that Luyang was the heart of politics for the Chinese in Sabah.
“In the past 50 years, many Chinese from the outskirts moved to Kota Kinabalu. A majority of them settled in Luyang while a few went to Kepayan and Likas.
“Every Chinese person in Sabah has friends or relatives in Luyang,” Yong said, adding that winning the Luyang constituency would be a big victory.
He added he had once warned the Democratic Action Party (DAP) and opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim that Hiew King Cheu would jump ship once he won, but still the Pakatan Rakyat coalition decided to let Hiew stand in the Luyang state constituency.
Yong said while SAPP has became more low key after GE13, he was hoping that other opposition YBs could play a more effective roles in the State Legislative Assembly sitting.
However, in the first State Assembly sitting after the general election, he pointed out that the opposition leaders had instead fought amongst themselves on the matter of whether Klias assemblyman Datuk Seri Panglima Lajim Ukin or Tamparuli assemblyman Datuk Wilfred Bumburing would be the opposition chief in the State Legislative Assembly.
On the kangkung (water spinach) issue, Yong said the jokes surrounding kangkung were not created by political parties, but by ordinary people who were suffering from inflation.
“This year’s Chinese New Year will not be like before. Ever since the schools reopened, there have been floods, power failure, glass shattering and everything else has become more expensive.”
Federal and state committees were set up to address the rising cost of goods because the issue was a challenge for the government of the day, he said.
“What we (SAPP) have said turned out to be true,” Yong said, referring to inflation, security, livelihood issues and PR candidates jumping ship.
“We once said that Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) should be managed by Sabah. The power disruption in Sabah and Labuan (on Friday) was certainly the first.”
Yong also stressed on the importance for a government administration to be trustworthy and accountable to the people.
Aside from that, he said the Selangor Islamic Religious Department’s (Jais) raid on the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) and seizure of Bibles containing the word ‘Allah’ without informing the state executive council (exco) prior to the raid was boiled down to “miscommunication”.
Furthermore, Yong said, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) deputy president Azmin Ali was then removed from the board of Selangor State Economic Development Corporation (PKNS).
“If Anwar says Azmin has to be reinstated as board member of PKNS, he can also ask for the Bibles to be returned.
“Government administration is vital, it has to be trustworthy and accountable to the people,” he pointed out.