KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) has to pick a side on whether it wants to be part of the government or the Opposition, says Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun.
“They (SAPP) need to choose. I think you need to stop ‘main dua kolam’ (playing in two political ponds),” said the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) secretary-general on Friday (Aug 18).
“This is so the electorate does not get confused. To me, SAPP should decide,” he added.
Leaders from Sabah Barisan Nasional, as well as Pakatan Harapan, had criticised SAPP for being in both the GRS, which supports the Federal Government, and in Opposition Perikatan Nasional at the federal level.
Sabah Barisan chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin said SAPP was trying to enjoy both worlds by supporting the government in the state while also wanting to show that it is with the opposition at the national level.
Sabah Wanita MCA chief Dr Pamela Yong questioned how SAPP could serve the people’s interest when the party was on both sides of the political divide.
Sabah DAP secretary Phoong Jin Zhe said SAPP was trying to destabilise both the Federal and state governments by sowing discord among GRS and Pakatan.
SAPP is one of the seven component parties of GRS which helms the state government that also includes Sabah Pakatan parties.
It is also part of the Perikatan coalition at the federal level with SAPP president Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee being the Opposition coalition deputy chairman. He is also a GRS deputy chairman.
Perikatan has two seats in the 79-member Sabah legislative assembly in Yong and PAS’ Dr Aliakbar Gulasan, both of whom are nominated assemblymen.
Masidi said both Yong and Aliakbar were politically aligned with the state government.
“So far, they have been pro-state government. But I’m not sure if they are pro-Federal Government
“But don’t forget, they were appointed before the current political situation.
“In a broader sense, this (situation involving SAPP and PAS) was something imposed on us, not something we created,” said Masidi.
During the Sept 26, 2020 Sabah snap election, the GRS, then a loose coalition that included Bersatu, Parti Bersatu Sabah, Sabah STAR, SAPP and PAS, worked with Sabah Barisan to unseat the then Parti Warisan-led state government.
After winning the election, the GRS-Barisan government appointed Yong and Aliakbar as two of the six nominated assemblymen.
At the time, Sabah STAR and SAPP were also components of Perikatan but Sabah STAR withdrew from the coalition after the 2022 general election.
SAPP however decided to remain with Perikatan while also sticking with GRS.
