By Queville To
KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) has described its support for a Pakatan Rakyat (PR) takeover of the state government as rock solid and unquestionable.SAPP secretary-general, Richard Yong We Kong, said the party maintains that it wishes to work with PR in toppling the BN at the next general election.
In an immediate response to media reports that the opposition parties may be quibbling among themselves, Yong said SAPP is not reviewing its stance on working with the opposition coalition.
He called on Sabah DAP chief, Dr Hiew King Cheu, whose remarks in the local media jolted a response from SAPP, to help forge a strong alliance between SAPP and PR.
Yong, however, warned that the DAP leader's strident rhetoric may alienate some supporters.
“We still have a year or two (before the general election). Let’s use this time to forge a strong alliance between SAPP and PR.
"For Hiew to talk like a big brother does not help in confidence building,” said Yong.
He was commenting on Hiew’s recent remarks that if SAPP was not with PR, then it was against the opposition coalition. His remarks were reported by a news portal and picked up by a local Chinese daily.
Yong said Hiew's comments as a DAP leader were uncalled for, and it would be a mistake to believe that voters would automatically support him.
Yong said Hiew had every right to disagree with SAPP on issues, but Hiew should not cast aspersions on SAPP by accusing the party of working with the BN to deny an opposition victory.
He stressed that SAPP is dedicated to the overthrow of the BN government.
"We left the BN government on Sept 17, 2008, because we have lost faith in the BN in solving Sabah’s problems. We don’t want to be in the government just for the sake of being in the government."
He also pointed out that the party's goal is to help restore the autonomy of Sabah and bring back a strong state government that truly protects the people of Sabah.
Yong reminded Hiew that SAPP president Yong Teck Lee had even spoken at the “916 Forum” organised by the DAP at Kota Kinabalu last year, at the invitation of Hiew himself.
Yong is the second SAPP leader to ask Hiew to clarify the statements attributed to him in the media. On Wednesday, Amde Sidek, a vice-president of SAPP, urged Hiew to clarify whether what was reported were his personal views or that of RR.
When SAPP first expressed its wish to contest the Pensiangan by-election late 2008, it caused some friction within PKR but the issue has since died down.
