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Thursday June 19, 2008 MYT 7:56:02 PM

No decision yet on SAPP (Update 2)


KUALA LUMPUR: The Barisan Nasional Supreme Council came together to slam Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) for its no-confidence motion on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, but stopped short of expelling its member party.

It has asked SAPP to explain party president Datuk Yong Teck Lee's actions and statements, after which a decision would be taken on whether to sack SAPP from the coalition.

SAPP's supreme council will meet on Friday to discuss the matter.

In a statement read out by Barisan secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor after an emergency meeting on Thursday, all 14 Barisan component parties also criticised SAPP's no-confidence motion as "unprincipled and unethical, and against the Barisan spirit."

The supreme council has also instructed all its Members of Parliament (MPs) to attend all sittings of Parliament while the issue remains unresolved, and to reject any no-confidence motion.

SAPP had earlier said it would support such a motion to be tabled in the next Parliament sitting on Monday, June 23. It had not decided if one of its two MPs -- Sepanggar MP Datuk Eric Enchin Majimbun and Tawau MP Datuk Dr Chua Soon Bui -- would table the motion, or whether MPs from another party would do it.

SAPP’s unprecedented move was announced on Wednesday by Yong, who said the no-confidence motion could spark off a groundswell within Barisan in the peninsula, Sarawak and Sabah.

Yong had also revealed that he had met Parti Keadilan Rakyat advisor and de facto opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim twice.

Yong cited the “continued insensitive attitude of the Government towards serious issues in Sabah” as the main reason SAPP decided to move a motion of no-confidence against the Prime Minister.

These issues included getting 20% oil royalties instead of the present 5%, the return of Labuan, poverty eradication, rural development, racial politics, illegal immigrants, crime and drugs.

He added that the people of Sabah were also suffering from high inflation because of recent “astronomical” and “unexpected” fuel price hikes, which was contrary to a Barisan election promise.

Not all SAPP members have agreed with Yong's action, most notably deputy president Datuk Raymond Tan who had said he was confused and embarrassed about the move.

Tan said that the party's supreme council had not been consulted on the matter, and he accused Yong of acting arbitrarily.

Reaction within Barisan ranks to SAPP’s announcement on Wednesday was varied. Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said the party can accommodate dissenting voices and didn’t think there was a need to expel SAPP from the coalition party.

“It’s their right to express their views,” he said.

However, other leaders came down hard, with Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam asking for SAPP’s expulsion, describing its motion as “undisciplined, undemocratic and irresponsible.”

The SAPP blog is also running two polls on the matter.

The first is on whether its no-confidence motion was relevant at all. At press time, 1,894 had voted, with 1,804(95%) saying yes.

The second, which began yesterday, was on whether SAPP should remain in Barisan. As at press time, 7,686 had voted, with an overwhelming majority (6,640 or 86%) saying it should leave Barisan and join the Pakatan Rakyat opposition alliance.

Only 238 or 3% urged it to stay with Barisan, while 808 (about 10%) wanted it to leave Barisan but remain unaligned.

Full coverage: SAPP shocker

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