KOTA KINABALU: Hopes for an electoral partnership between the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) and DAP are dimming.

There is a strong indication that state DAP leaders have refused to work with SAPP, which has ac-cused DAP of attacking local-based parties.

“It is a DAP plot to wipe out all local parties,” SAPP secretary- general Datuk Richard Yong said yesterday.

He advised Sabah DAP leaders, especially its publicity secretary Dr Edwin Bosie, to stop insulting the local parties.

Yong said their views were very much against the stand made by DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang, who announced the “Pakatan Rakyat plus SAPP formula” and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s wish for Pakatan to work with SAPP.

Yong also claimed that Dr Edwin and some DAP members wanted to destroy the cooperation among the opposition parties because they wanted to help Barisan Nasional.

He said DAP elections bureau chief Tan Kok Wai even issued an ultimatum to SAPP to join Paka-tan.

“It is regrettable to see the local DAP leaders talking like their superiors from Kuala Lumpur. They don’t have respect for Sabah parties,” he added.

Yong said there were signs that Sabah-based opposition parties might form their own coalition without having to work with Pakatan.

The first sign of a deal between SAPP and Pakatan emerged when SAPP expressed its interest to contest more of the 60 state seats and give way to Pakatan to contest 25 parliamentary seats in Sabah.

However, things turned sour when local DAP leaders issued statements deemed insulting to SAPP.

It was earlier reported that Lim told party members here to stop “firing” at SAPP, reminding them that the party was not the enemy.

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