SAPP ticks off two other BN parties - The Star

KOTA KINABALU: Jul 5, 2008 By MUGUNTAN VANAR

A spat has started between rebellious Sabah Progressive Party and two other Barisan Nasional parties as the party prepares to reply to a show-cause letter.

The SAPP felt it was wrong for two Sabah brethrens to push for its expulsion from Barisan Nasional when all it was doing was fighting for a better future for Sabahans.

The party deputy president Datuk Raymond Tan, who opposes his president Datuk Yong Teck Lee's no confidence move against the Prime Minister, ticked off Parti Bersatu Sabah and Liberal Democratic Party.

Tan, who is also Deputy Chief Minister, said that the move by PBS and LDP to allegedly table and second a motion at the Barisan management and supreme council meeting to expel SAPP was wrong.

He claimed that the two components had shown their bias against SAPP even before the party had a chance to explain its views in response to the show-cause letter.

However, both LDP and PBS have denied claims made in new reports that the two parties were pushing for SAPP’s expulsion and asked Tan to check his facts.

PBS president Datuk Joseph Pairin Kitingan denied the report on his party's move to sack SAPP as a "rumour" on an online news portal that was quoted in a national news agency report.

Pairin said that it was a baseless and ridiculous claim that could cause a split in Barisan.

LDP Information Chief Albert Kok Yuk Ken said Tan should have checked his facts before making any statements.

SAPP has been given 30 days from July 1 to reply to a show-cause letter from Barisan after which the ruling coalition will decide on whether to reprimand, suspend or sack the party of two MPs and four assemblymen.