DAP Sabah wants Yong to apologise
Published on: Thursday, March 26, 2015
Alor Setar: DAP Sabah has demanded Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) President Datuk Yong Teck Lee apologise for misinterpreting DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang's intention to save Malaysia as openly begging for DAP to be accepted into a federal coalition. DAP Sabah vice chief Chan Foong Hin said Yong had misinterpreted Lim's statement for the sake of his political interest. "We should read Lim's statement under the context of the possible political parties' realignment post-hudud controversy," said Chan, who is also Sri Tanjong Assemblyman, here, Wednesday.He said Lim was calling Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to make a clear stand over the hudud issue, failing which a new political scenario would take place, which is a political parties' realignment — going beyond Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat, instead of forging a new Umno-DAP coalition. On March 23, Yong was quoted as saying that with de facto opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in prison and the passing of PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz and DAP stalwart Karpal Singh, Lim had used the stale excuse of "save Malaysia" to forge a coalition with an Umno-led government.
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"In Lim's latest statement today, he wrote that if Najib…unable to declare a clear stand that Umno/BN opposes Hadi's private member's bill, then a new political scenario would set in."This is a new political scenario which is post-Barisan Nasional and post-Pakatan Rakyat, as both coalitions would have been severely damaged by the Umno "UG" (Unity government between Umno and PAS) conspirators who had used the lure of hudud implementation to destabilise, divide and destroy Pakatan Rakyat."Chan said the essence of Lim's statement was "If there are sufficient numbers in such a new coalition exceeding a simple majority in the 222-seat Parliament, then there will be a new government coalition and a new Prime Minister… clearly, Najib will not be the Prime Minister." Meanwhile, Chan emphasised that the "two parties system" was a prerequisite for "one country two systems" as proposed by Yong.
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Commenting on the "one country two systems" as the way forward for the country, Chan said the DAP was fighting for decentralisation of power from the current Federal government in Putrajaya to second tier (state) government and third tier (local) government. "The power of the current BN/Umno regime is so concentrated in the hands of the Federal government. Without the change of regime, can we imagine that more power devolution is possible?
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"With the fragmentation of opposition parties can we win the power? "Ironically, we called for local elections but SAPP objected to it. We called for Sabah autonomy as well but SAPP pinpointed us as a Malayan party. And now Yong is blaming us to help PAS to implement hudud," said Chan."Furthermore, Yong does not have the moral ground to champion the call for "one country two systems" as he didn't walk the talk. "Where is the slogan of one country two systems when he was Chief Minister of Sabah?" he asked.Chan also defended DAP's pact with PAS through the platform of Pakatan Rakyat in the last election. "The spirit of PR is equal partnership. We agree to disagree in each party's stand but any policy implementation should follow the line of PR's common manifesto. "We should also notice that PAS is not a homogenous party. The competition between progressive and conservative is very stiff and we will see the result in the party election this June. "Now PAS' conservative wing is betraying PR by tabling the hudud private bill in Parliament. This is the game plan to destroy PR from within as instigated by Umno," he said."DAP never compromised but is taking a firm stand to oppose hudud implementation and even suspended our relationship with PAS in Sabah."Why should Yong blame DAP? Why not come and discuss with us for the possible political parties' realignment?" Chan asked.Chan believed Borneo cannot embrace the false hope to insulate itself from the racial and religious extremism that is toxic to nation building by exercising one country two systems, as claimed by Yong. "Indeed, with the years of Islamisation and Malayanisation of the education system and social integration, things happening there would affect us here eventually. Sabah and Sarawak can't take Borneo exceptionalism for granted."For instance, we can't let Kelantan decide the future and destiny of the federation unilaterally. East Malaysians should participate actively in the debate of the hudud controversy but not distance away from the issue and say this is Malayan business and we are insulated from it."Chan also called upon all East Malaysian leaders to advocate State rights more boldly at the national level. He called it "look East to save Malaysia".Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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