CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT: MAHATHIR WARNS OF CONSEQUENCES OVER ARTICLE 121-A3
WHAT POLITICAL BRIBERY? Musa denies Yong’s claim over offer of Senator post
SANDAKAN:
Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman has denied an allegation by Sabah Progressive Party “political bribery”.
“The matter was discussed by us much earlier. When he was not picked to be a candidate in the last general election, I was ask the Prime Minister as the Barisan Nasional (BN) Chairman, to give a Senator post to Yong as SAPP President.
“The post was agreed upon by Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi much earlier … so, it was not a political bribery or to shut up his mouth,” Musa told reporters yesterday after launching the State-level Youth Month and Day program here.
Musa, who is Sabah BN Chairman, was asked to comment on Yong’s statement on Friday that he considered the Senator post and the post of Special Envoy for the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asia Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) as “political bribery” so as not to voice out issues regarding Sabah.
Yong had said this when asked to comment on Abdullah’s statement on Thursday that he had offered the post of Senator and BIMP-EAGA Special Envoy to the SAPP President.
According to Yong, on June 17, just a day before he announced SAPP’s intention to table a motion of no-confidence against Abdullah, he received a confidential letter from the Cabinet Division of the Prime Minister’s Department. He declined to reveal its contents to reporters, saying it was confidential.
On the SAPP Supreme Council’s decision that a motion of no-confidence be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday, Musa said the decision was not made unanimously as there were objections by several leaders and Party members.
According to him, there were differences between Yong and his Deputy, Datuk Raymond Tan Shu Kiah, SAPP Youth Chief Au Kam Wah and Vice-President Jimmy Wong.
“Raymond Tan told me that in the SAPP Supreme Council Meeting, he, Au, Jimmy Wong and several leaders did not agree with the no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister as put forward by Yong.
“There were differences and opposition among them, and this shows that there was no unanimity among the SAPP Supreme Council Members.
“So, this is a very unfortunate as it is clear that not all SAPP leaders and members agree with the Party President’s action and it shows clearly that is was done for self-interest,” Musa said.
He believes Raymond would continue to support the BN leadership, especially that of Abdullah, adding that he was leaving it to the BN leadership to take any action against Yong or SAPP.
“As I understand it, if both the SAPP Members of Parliament (Datuk Eric Majimbun and Datuk Dr Chua Soon Boi) table a motion of no-confidence, action will be taken against them,” Musa said.
On SAPP itself, he said not all SAPP leaders agree on the motion.
According to him, it was due to this factor that the BN leadership did not take any drastic action on the Party as the leadership knew earlier on that not all SAPP leaders and members agreed with their President’s action. – Bernama
Sunday, June 22, 2008
SUNDAY 22ND JUNE, 2008- RAYMOND NOT QUITTING SAPP
RAYMOND NOT QUITTING SAPP – DCM says he will stay even if Party is expelled by BN
Come what may, Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Deputy President Datuk Raymond Tan Shu Koh will remain loyal to his Party – even if it is expelled.
Tan, who started his political career with SAPP since its inception in 1994, also stressed that he would stick around even if Barisan Nasional decides to expel the Party following its move to proceed in supporting a motion of vote of no-confidence on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s leadership at Monday’s Parliament sitting.
And despite the different opinions between him and Party President Datuk Yong Teck Lee, Tan insists on staying with the Party, especially now during this crucial time.
“We may have different opinions but I do not think that I should be away from the Party; this is the time where the Party would need me. I think I can work with my President despite the differences and I do not have any problem with that,” said Tan, who is also the Deputy Chief Minister.
The 49-year-old politician did not deny speculations of being ‘proposed’ by other BN Component Parties to join them, explaining that: “There have been a lot of speculations on this but I am not going to entertain any request of such nature at the moment. I do not want to see the Party in trouble,” he quipped.
Speaking to reporters at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport before catching a flight to Sandakan yesterday afternoon, Tan however hoped that he would be given a chance to present his views, adding that he was disappointed when Yong claimed that the Party’s decision was based on the consensus of all SAPP Supreme council Members.
“During the meeting, I gave a different opinion and anyone who attended the meeting knew the fact that it was not an unanimous decision. It was not a consensus. I just hope our Datuk President would clarify this matter. It was not right to say it was consensus and that other opinions were regarded as personal views.
“I also said during the meeting that I was not going anywhere because I have no decision to pull out from the Party. The Party will proceed with the motion and definitely BN will take action against SAPP, (but) I am not going anywhere. I am willing to accept any decision made by the Coalition,” he said.
Tan also said that during the five-and-a-half-hours meeting, Yong also brought up the Anti-Corruption Agency’s case against him. It was stated in court that when Yong was the Chief Minister, he had ordered payment of over RM5 million profit from the sale of shares belonging to a State-owned company to his selected agents in 1996.
“I am puzzled on why the case was brought up now. It was as if the case was purposely mentioned to force our President to drop the move of supporting a motion of no-confidence against the PM, this is not right. Although I am pressing for an opportunity to express my own view, I do not want to see my President, or other members for that matter, be forced when making decisions. I am appealing to them to stop putting such pressure on us.
“I do not have any bad intention. I just want to share my views for the good of the Party. I am asking from the PM not to take any action that would stop people from voicing out their opinions. The action was seen as a threat and is sending us the wrong signals and determining what we should decide on.
“Honestly, I do think that since we want to remain in BN, we should not have pursued with the motion, I have not changed my stand but if my opinion is wrong, if the Party and President think I am wrong, I will accept any decision to be taken against me,” said Tan, in a choking voice as he was overwhelmed by his feelings.
He believes that the decision to support a no-confidence vote against Abdullah was regarded by the Opposition as a support for Pakatan Rakyat de-facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, adding: “I do not agree with this, but God willing, I will be strong”
Come what may, Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Deputy President Datuk Raymond Tan Shu Koh will remain loyal to his Party – even if it is expelled.
Tan, who started his political career with SAPP since its inception in 1994, also stressed that he would stick around even if Barisan Nasional decides to expel the Party following its move to proceed in supporting a motion of vote of no-confidence on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s leadership at Monday’s Parliament sitting.
And despite the different opinions between him and Party President Datuk Yong Teck Lee, Tan insists on staying with the Party, especially now during this crucial time.
“We may have different opinions but I do not think that I should be away from the Party; this is the time where the Party would need me. I think I can work with my President despite the differences and I do not have any problem with that,” said Tan, who is also the Deputy Chief Minister.
The 49-year-old politician did not deny speculations of being ‘proposed’ by other BN Component Parties to join them, explaining that: “There have been a lot of speculations on this but I am not going to entertain any request of such nature at the moment. I do not want to see the Party in trouble,” he quipped.
Speaking to reporters at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport before catching a flight to Sandakan yesterday afternoon, Tan however hoped that he would be given a chance to present his views, adding that he was disappointed when Yong claimed that the Party’s decision was based on the consensus of all SAPP Supreme council Members.
“During the meeting, I gave a different opinion and anyone who attended the meeting knew the fact that it was not an unanimous decision. It was not a consensus. I just hope our Datuk President would clarify this matter. It was not right to say it was consensus and that other opinions were regarded as personal views.
“I also said during the meeting that I was not going anywhere because I have no decision to pull out from the Party. The Party will proceed with the motion and definitely BN will take action against SAPP, (but) I am not going anywhere. I am willing to accept any decision made by the Coalition,” he said.
Tan also said that during the five-and-a-half-hours meeting, Yong also brought up the Anti-Corruption Agency’s case against him. It was stated in court that when Yong was the Chief Minister, he had ordered payment of over RM5 million profit from the sale of shares belonging to a State-owned company to his selected agents in 1996.
“I am puzzled on why the case was brought up now. It was as if the case was purposely mentioned to force our President to drop the move of supporting a motion of no-confidence against the PM, this is not right. Although I am pressing for an opportunity to express my own view, I do not want to see my President, or other members for that matter, be forced when making decisions. I am appealing to them to stop putting such pressure on us.
“I do not have any bad intention. I just want to share my views for the good of the Party. I am asking from the PM not to take any action that would stop people from voicing out their opinions. The action was seen as a threat and is sending us the wrong signals and determining what we should decide on.
“Honestly, I do think that since we want to remain in BN, we should not have pursued with the motion, I have not changed my stand but if my opinion is wrong, if the Party and President think I am wrong, I will accept any decision to be taken against me,” said Tan, in a choking voice as he was overwhelmed by his feelings.
He believes that the decision to support a no-confidence vote against Abdullah was regarded by the Opposition as a support for Pakatan Rakyat de-facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, adding: “I do not agree with this, but God willing, I will be strong”
SUNDAY- 22ND JUNE 2008 - NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE: The Sabah Experience
VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE: THE SABAH EXPERIENCE
LEX BORNEO
On March 8 this year Malaysia was hit by a political tsunami when Barisan Nasional lost its 2/3 majority in Parliament and 5 State elections. Then last Wednesday Malaysia woke up to a political earthquake when Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) called a press conference to make a stand that they have lost confidence in the Prime Minister YAB Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and their MPs will support a Vote of No Confidence on the PM.
This is an unprecedented event in our Federal Parliament, but not in Sabah. Our State for all its troubles and woes has on more than one occasion been the test case for major political and constitutional law precedents. Which state in Malaysia and perhaps in the whole world has had Anti-Hop Law, Chief Minister rotation and ‘istana incidents’ numbers 1 and 2? Where in the world did a Chief Minister like Datuk Seri Pairin Kitingan in 1990s have to wait outside the Istana gates to be sworn in after his party won the State Elections. I remember that it was because of that incident the mobile toilet was popularized in Sabah as Pairin could not for even a brief moment leave Istana gates to go and search for a normal toilet and do his business.
Datuk Yong – ‘A man for all seasons”
POLITICAL KARMA
A pastor I know told me that if you cast your bread upon the waters, many days later you will find it. In other faiths there is a similar concept known as ‘karma’. For Datuk Yong it appears to be a political karma of sorts as he was the man who was one of the prime architects in bringing BN to Sabah but now appears to be moving in the opposite direction. He has his reasons for his current stand. Sabahans have suffered long enough from various age old problems like illegal immigrants, power shortages, rising prices and now fuel price hikes. An entire generation has come and gone since BN has come to Sabah but we have yet to experience the boom and glory days of the Berjaya Government from 1976 to 1985. Swift action is needed because Sabah has unlike other more ‘prosperous states’ unanimously returned BN to power. Nevertheless the current situation in some ways mirrors the events of 1994 which are recorded in a civil suit when Datuk Pairin and the PBS-USNO coalition lost power. Again here there is the effect of karma because in 1985 when PBS first came to power, USNO alleged that PBS reneged on a power sharing agreement if Berjaya was defeated. Strangely in the last days of the PBS government, both PBS and USNO who initially worked together and then became bitter rivals finally ended up together again for a brief period of time
DATUK DATU AMIR KAHAR BIN TUN DATU HAJI MUSTAPHA v YANG DI-PERTUA NEGERI SABAH & ORS.
On 18 and 19 February 1994, there was a State election held in Sabah to elect 48 members to the Legislative Assembly and the winner would be entitled to appoint not more than six other nominated members (now abolished). Members of two major political parties, the Parti Bersatu Sabah (‘the PBS’) under the leadership of Datuk Seri Joseph Pairin Kitingan and the State Barisan Nasional (‘the BN’) under the leadership of Tan Sri Hj Sakaran Dandai, contested in the said election. Datuk Amir Kahar belonged to the PBS(USNO) and the three men won their respective State seats. When the results of the election were announced, the PBS won 25 of the total elected seats as against the BN which managed to obtain the 23 remaining seats. So, PBS obtained a majority of the members in the Legislative Assembly by two elected seats. As the leader of the party that had won a majority of the elected seats and a member of the Assembly, Datuk Pairin was, on 21 February 1994, duly appointed by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri as the Chief Minister of Sabah and on his advice, other elected members from the PBS, including Datuk Amir Kahar were appointed to form the State Cabinet. The Sabah Legislative Assembly consisted of 54 members in all, both elected and nominated. Amir Kahar was one of the Ministers and was assigned the portfolio of Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries.
On 17 March 1994, Pairin tendered his resignation as the Chief Minister of Sabah but he did not tender the resignation of the other members of his Cabinet. On the same day the Yang di-Pertua Negeri, appointed the Tan Sri Sakaran Dandai as the new Chief Minister to replace Pairin. On 24 March 1994, Yang di Pertua Negeri on the advice of Sakaran Dandai, appointed 7 others as other members of the Cabinet of Sakaran Dandai. Until this time, the other members of the previous Cabinet under Pairin did not tender their resignations and neither were their appointments revoked by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri.
Datuk Amir Kahar as plaintiff (represented by Sabah lawyer Yunof Maringking) named Yang Di Pertua Negeri as the first defendant, Sakaran Dandai as second defendant, and 7 others as the remaining defendants applied to the High Court for the following declarations:
(1) A declaration that since no motion was ever tabled in the State Assembly against Pairin so as to determine whether or not he had lost the confidence of the majority of the members of the Legislative Assembly, the resignation of Pairin on 17 March 1994 was personal to him as a member of the State Cabinet and has no effect on the appointment of the plaintiff as a Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries.
(2) A declaration that the first defendant as the head of the State of Sabah acted ultra vires the provisions of the State Constitution by purportedly appointing the third to ninth defendants as members of the State Cabinet on 24 March 1994 when the appointments of the plaintiff and the other Cabinet members who were earlier appointed on 21 February 1994 had not been revoked nor had they resigned.
(3) A declaration that the appointment of the plaintiff as a member of the State Cabinet by the first defendant under an instrument dated 21 February 1994 had not been legally revoked and still subsists in law and hence the plaintiff is still a member of the Sabah State Cabinet and assigned to the portfolio of Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries.
(4) Alternatively, a declaration that the appointments of the second to ninth defendants are invalid because the first defendant acted ultra vires the State Constitution by relying upon the purported petition signed by 30 assemblymen outside the Legislative Assembly.
THE PETITON OF THE 30 ASSEMBLYMAN
The first Defendant , the Yang di Pertua Negeri said that in arriving at his decision to appoint Sakaran Dandai as Chief Minister and the 7 other defendants to the Cabinet relied on a petition received by his office on 16th March 1994 and signed by 30 assemblymen of the Sabah Legislative Assembly declaring that they no longer had any confidence in nor would give any support to Pairin as the Chief Minister and requested to procure the resignation of Pairin as Chief Minister. The petition also requested that in the event Pairin refused to either resign or subject himself to a test of confidence, the Yang di-Pertua Negeri was to invite the Sakaran Dandai to form a new government. which read as follows:-
Tuan Yang Terutama Tarikh: 16 Mac 1994
Tun Haji Said Bin Keruak
d/a Istana
Kota Kinabalu
Sabah
Tuan Yang Terutama Tun
(1) Kami selaku Ahli-ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) Sabah yang baru dipilih dan sebagai penyokong Barisan Nasional dengan hormatnya memaklumkan kepada Tun bahawa kami tidak lagi mempunyai kepercayaan kepada Datuk Seri Joseph Pairin Kitingan dan kami tidak akan menyokong Datuk Pairin, pemimpin Parti Bersatu Sabah sebagai Ketua Menteri Sabah.
(2) Kami juga memohon memaklumkan Tun bahawa Barisan Nasional dan penyokong-penyokongnya sekarang menguasai majoriti di kalangan ahli-ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri.
(3) Oleh itu dengan segala hormatnya kami ingin menegaskan bahawa Datuk Pairin atau pemimpin-pemimpin dan parti-parti politik atau campuran parti-parti politik yang lain tidak berkemampuan mendapat suara majoriti dalam Dewan Undangan Negeri tersebut.
(4) Dalam keadaan yang demikian kami memohon jasa baik Tun untuk, samada, mendapatkan perletakan jawatan Datuk Pairin selaku Ketua Menteri Sabah atau untuk membantu mengadakan suatu persidangan dewan Undangan Negeri dengan segera dan mengarahkan Datuk Pairin untuk menghadapi suatu undi kepercayaan.
(5) Jika Datuk Pairin enggan mematuhi salah satu arahan tersebut, kami dengan hormatnya memohon Tun melucutkan mandat beliau dan menjemput Tan Sri Haji Sakaran Dandai untuk membentuk sebuah kerajaan yang baru.
(6) Kami dengan hormatnya juga ingin merakamkan di sini perasaan penghargaan kami yang tidak terhingga di atas kepimpinan bijaksana dan ketabahan Tun dalam mempertahankan Perlembagaan.
Yang ikhlas
—Sgd—
(A list of 30 names with signatures)
THE SAD & DIGNIFIED RESIGNATION OF DATUK PAIRIN
The affidavit of Pairin in the case disclosed that on 13 March 1994, because of three defections by assemblymen from the PBS to the BN, he requested the Yang Di Pertua Negeri for the dissolution of the Assembly so as to call for a fresh mandate from the people. However, the consent to his request was withheld by the Yang Di Pertua Negeri. Then on 16 March 1994, he saw as announced through RTM, the petition with signatures purported to be those of the members of the Legislative Assembly. On 17 March 1994, he resigned as the Chief Minister but he did not tender the resignation of the other Cabinet members because the ground for his resignation was personal to him and on the same day, the first defendant appointed the second defendant as the Chief Minister of Sabah. On 24 May 1994, the new Cabinet was appointed but the old Cabinet’s appointments were never revoked. Finally, he states that his intention was to resign from the post of Chief Minister only without involving the other members of the Cabinet as was clearly stated in his press statement when he announced his resignation.
The press statement of Datuk Pairin is sad and the first by a Chief Minister of Sabah who had to resign because he lost confidence of the Assembly, but it shows his respect for the rule of law and for peaceful and dignified surrender of power.:-
The Right Honourable Datuk Joseph Pairin Kitingan’s Message Following His Resignation as the Chief Minister of Sabah on 17 March 1994
“Events in the last few days have forced a situation where we must tread carefully to avoid a further deterioration of the political situation. The turn of events have brought about a situation much different from that of 21 February 1994 when I was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Sabah after the Parti Bersatu Sabah had won 25 seats. With the appointment of the six nominated assemblymen, the total was brought to 31 seats. The situation is now reversed with the Barisan Nasional having the majority of 33 seats to PBS’s 21, thus paving the way for it to form the next government.
By convention, the Chief Minister will have to resign if the ruling party no longer has the majority support of the assemblymen. Under the present circumstances, where the PBS majority is greatly reduced with the mass exodus of its assemblymen to the BN, my position as Chief Minister is no longer tenable. Having taken all matters into consideration, I have, therefore, decided to resign from the post of Chief Minister.
It is a sad decision for me but nonetheless I truly feel this is the most honourable thing to do under the present circumstances. I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for your full support to ensure Parti Bersatu Sabah’s victory in the just concluded state elections. We truly appreciated your mandate to give us another chance to govern the state.
In the context of what has transpired over the last few days, it is clear that some changes have occurred that tipped the balance of support in favour of the BN. I am now acknowledging the need to respond honourably to the situation. I made this decision to resign with a clear conscience and in the knowledge that I had tried to do my best for the people and the state in the past nine years.
As I offer my thanks and appreciation to the people of Sabah for giving us their trust and confidence, I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate the new Chief Minister and his government which will be formed today. It is my hope too that the new government will continue to look after the interests of the people and the state and work to ensure a developed, progressive and just society.
I would also like to assure the new Chief Minister and his government that I will co-operate and do my part to serve the people and the state. I sincerely wish him all the best.
THE COURT’S RULING
Despite the valiant last ditch effort by Datuk Amir Kahar to save the Government of the day the Court disallowed his application. The Court held that:-
“The evidence that a Chief Minister ceases to command the confidence of the majority of members of the Assembly may be found from other extraneous sources and are not confined to the votes taken in the Legislative Assembly provided that, those extraneous sources are properly established. In this case, that extraneous source is to be found in the clear expression contained in the petition by the 30 members to the first defendant and the admission of that fact by Datuk Pairin. This clear expression suffices for the first defendant to exercise his discretion to appoint the second defendant as the new Chief Minister to replace Pairin. The expression ‘lost of confidence’ is not, therefore, confined to a vote taken in the Assembly but depends on the circumstances, which are capable of contributing sufficient evidence to indicate such lack of confidence. So, in the circumstances, I am of the view that the resignation of Pairin on 17 March 1994 was in fact a resignation of the whole members of his Cabinet, including the plaintiff, on account of him ceasing to command the confidence of a majority of the Legislative Assembly notwithstanding that the letter of resignation was silent as to the resignation of the other members of his Cabinet including the plaintiff. Consequently, on the acceptance of the resignation by the first defendant, the whole Cabinet of Datuk Pairin collapsed. “
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LEX BORNEO
On March 8 this year Malaysia was hit by a political tsunami when Barisan Nasional lost its 2/3 majority in Parliament and 5 State elections. Then last Wednesday Malaysia woke up to a political earthquake when Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) called a press conference to make a stand that they have lost confidence in the Prime Minister YAB Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and their MPs will support a Vote of No Confidence on the PM.
This is an unprecedented event in our Federal Parliament, but not in Sabah. Our State for all its troubles and woes has on more than one occasion been the test case for major political and constitutional law precedents. Which state in Malaysia and perhaps in the whole world has had Anti-Hop Law, Chief Minister rotation and ‘istana incidents’ numbers 1 and 2? Where in the world did a Chief Minister like Datuk Seri Pairin Kitingan in 1990s have to wait outside the Istana gates to be sworn in after his party won the State Elections. I remember that it was because of that incident the mobile toilet was popularized in Sabah as Pairin could not for even a brief moment leave Istana gates to go and search for a normal toilet and do his business.
Datuk Yong – ‘A man for all seasons”
POLITICAL KARMA
A pastor I know told me that if you cast your bread upon the waters, many days later you will find it. In other faiths there is a similar concept known as ‘karma’. For Datuk Yong it appears to be a political karma of sorts as he was the man who was one of the prime architects in bringing BN to Sabah but now appears to be moving in the opposite direction. He has his reasons for his current stand. Sabahans have suffered long enough from various age old problems like illegal immigrants, power shortages, rising prices and now fuel price hikes. An entire generation has come and gone since BN has come to Sabah but we have yet to experience the boom and glory days of the Berjaya Government from 1976 to 1985. Swift action is needed because Sabah has unlike other more ‘prosperous states’ unanimously returned BN to power. Nevertheless the current situation in some ways mirrors the events of 1994 which are recorded in a civil suit when Datuk Pairin and the PBS-USNO coalition lost power. Again here there is the effect of karma because in 1985 when PBS first came to power, USNO alleged that PBS reneged on a power sharing agreement if Berjaya was defeated. Strangely in the last days of the PBS government, both PBS and USNO who initially worked together and then became bitter rivals finally ended up together again for a brief period of time
DATUK DATU AMIR KAHAR BIN TUN DATU HAJI MUSTAPHA v YANG DI-PERTUA NEGERI SABAH & ORS.
On 18 and 19 February 1994, there was a State election held in Sabah to elect 48 members to the Legislative Assembly and the winner would be entitled to appoint not more than six other nominated members (now abolished). Members of two major political parties, the Parti Bersatu Sabah (‘the PBS’) under the leadership of Datuk Seri Joseph Pairin Kitingan and the State Barisan Nasional (‘the BN’) under the leadership of Tan Sri Hj Sakaran Dandai, contested in the said election. Datuk Amir Kahar belonged to the PBS(USNO) and the three men won their respective State seats. When the results of the election were announced, the PBS won 25 of the total elected seats as against the BN which managed to obtain the 23 remaining seats. So, PBS obtained a majority of the members in the Legislative Assembly by two elected seats. As the leader of the party that had won a majority of the elected seats and a member of the Assembly, Datuk Pairin was, on 21 February 1994, duly appointed by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri as the Chief Minister of Sabah and on his advice, other elected members from the PBS, including Datuk Amir Kahar were appointed to form the State Cabinet. The Sabah Legislative Assembly consisted of 54 members in all, both elected and nominated. Amir Kahar was one of the Ministers and was assigned the portfolio of Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries.
On 17 March 1994, Pairin tendered his resignation as the Chief Minister of Sabah but he did not tender the resignation of the other members of his Cabinet. On the same day the Yang di-Pertua Negeri, appointed the Tan Sri Sakaran Dandai as the new Chief Minister to replace Pairin. On 24 March 1994, Yang di Pertua Negeri on the advice of Sakaran Dandai, appointed 7 others as other members of the Cabinet of Sakaran Dandai. Until this time, the other members of the previous Cabinet under Pairin did not tender their resignations and neither were their appointments revoked by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri.
Datuk Amir Kahar as plaintiff (represented by Sabah lawyer Yunof Maringking) named Yang Di Pertua Negeri as the first defendant, Sakaran Dandai as second defendant, and 7 others as the remaining defendants applied to the High Court for the following declarations:
(1) A declaration that since no motion was ever tabled in the State Assembly against Pairin so as to determine whether or not he had lost the confidence of the majority of the members of the Legislative Assembly, the resignation of Pairin on 17 March 1994 was personal to him as a member of the State Cabinet and has no effect on the appointment of the plaintiff as a Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries.
(2) A declaration that the first defendant as the head of the State of Sabah acted ultra vires the provisions of the State Constitution by purportedly appointing the third to ninth defendants as members of the State Cabinet on 24 March 1994 when the appointments of the plaintiff and the other Cabinet members who were earlier appointed on 21 February 1994 had not been revoked nor had they resigned.
(3) A declaration that the appointment of the plaintiff as a member of the State Cabinet by the first defendant under an instrument dated 21 February 1994 had not been legally revoked and still subsists in law and hence the plaintiff is still a member of the Sabah State Cabinet and assigned to the portfolio of Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries.
(4) Alternatively, a declaration that the appointments of the second to ninth defendants are invalid because the first defendant acted ultra vires the State Constitution by relying upon the purported petition signed by 30 assemblymen outside the Legislative Assembly.
THE PETITON OF THE 30 ASSEMBLYMAN
The first Defendant , the Yang di Pertua Negeri said that in arriving at his decision to appoint Sakaran Dandai as Chief Minister and the 7 other defendants to the Cabinet relied on a petition received by his office on 16th March 1994 and signed by 30 assemblymen of the Sabah Legislative Assembly declaring that they no longer had any confidence in nor would give any support to Pairin as the Chief Minister and requested to procure the resignation of Pairin as Chief Minister. The petition also requested that in the event Pairin refused to either resign or subject himself to a test of confidence, the Yang di-Pertua Negeri was to invite the Sakaran Dandai to form a new government. which read as follows:-
Tuan Yang Terutama Tarikh: 16 Mac 1994
Tun Haji Said Bin Keruak
d/a Istana
Kota Kinabalu
Sabah
Tuan Yang Terutama Tun
(1) Kami selaku Ahli-ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) Sabah yang baru dipilih dan sebagai penyokong Barisan Nasional dengan hormatnya memaklumkan kepada Tun bahawa kami tidak lagi mempunyai kepercayaan kepada Datuk Seri Joseph Pairin Kitingan dan kami tidak akan menyokong Datuk Pairin, pemimpin Parti Bersatu Sabah sebagai Ketua Menteri Sabah.
(2) Kami juga memohon memaklumkan Tun bahawa Barisan Nasional dan penyokong-penyokongnya sekarang menguasai majoriti di kalangan ahli-ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri.
(3) Oleh itu dengan segala hormatnya kami ingin menegaskan bahawa Datuk Pairin atau pemimpin-pemimpin dan parti-parti politik atau campuran parti-parti politik yang lain tidak berkemampuan mendapat suara majoriti dalam Dewan Undangan Negeri tersebut.
(4) Dalam keadaan yang demikian kami memohon jasa baik Tun untuk, samada, mendapatkan perletakan jawatan Datuk Pairin selaku Ketua Menteri Sabah atau untuk membantu mengadakan suatu persidangan dewan Undangan Negeri dengan segera dan mengarahkan Datuk Pairin untuk menghadapi suatu undi kepercayaan.
(5) Jika Datuk Pairin enggan mematuhi salah satu arahan tersebut, kami dengan hormatnya memohon Tun melucutkan mandat beliau dan menjemput Tan Sri Haji Sakaran Dandai untuk membentuk sebuah kerajaan yang baru.
(6) Kami dengan hormatnya juga ingin merakamkan di sini perasaan penghargaan kami yang tidak terhingga di atas kepimpinan bijaksana dan ketabahan Tun dalam mempertahankan Perlembagaan.
Yang ikhlas
—Sgd—
(A list of 30 names with signatures)
THE SAD & DIGNIFIED RESIGNATION OF DATUK PAIRIN
The affidavit of Pairin in the case disclosed that on 13 March 1994, because of three defections by assemblymen from the PBS to the BN, he requested the Yang Di Pertua Negeri for the dissolution of the Assembly so as to call for a fresh mandate from the people. However, the consent to his request was withheld by the Yang Di Pertua Negeri. Then on 16 March 1994, he saw as announced through RTM, the petition with signatures purported to be those of the members of the Legislative Assembly. On 17 March 1994, he resigned as the Chief Minister but he did not tender the resignation of the other Cabinet members because the ground for his resignation was personal to him and on the same day, the first defendant appointed the second defendant as the Chief Minister of Sabah. On 24 May 1994, the new Cabinet was appointed but the old Cabinet’s appointments were never revoked. Finally, he states that his intention was to resign from the post of Chief Minister only without involving the other members of the Cabinet as was clearly stated in his press statement when he announced his resignation.
The press statement of Datuk Pairin is sad and the first by a Chief Minister of Sabah who had to resign because he lost confidence of the Assembly, but it shows his respect for the rule of law and for peaceful and dignified surrender of power.:-
The Right Honourable Datuk Joseph Pairin Kitingan’s Message Following His Resignation as the Chief Minister of Sabah on 17 March 1994
“Events in the last few days have forced a situation where we must tread carefully to avoid a further deterioration of the political situation. The turn of events have brought about a situation much different from that of 21 February 1994 when I was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Sabah after the Parti Bersatu Sabah had won 25 seats. With the appointment of the six nominated assemblymen, the total was brought to 31 seats. The situation is now reversed with the Barisan Nasional having the majority of 33 seats to PBS’s 21, thus paving the way for it to form the next government.
By convention, the Chief Minister will have to resign if the ruling party no longer has the majority support of the assemblymen. Under the present circumstances, where the PBS majority is greatly reduced with the mass exodus of its assemblymen to the BN, my position as Chief Minister is no longer tenable. Having taken all matters into consideration, I have, therefore, decided to resign from the post of Chief Minister.
It is a sad decision for me but nonetheless I truly feel this is the most honourable thing to do under the present circumstances. I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for your full support to ensure Parti Bersatu Sabah’s victory in the just concluded state elections. We truly appreciated your mandate to give us another chance to govern the state.
In the context of what has transpired over the last few days, it is clear that some changes have occurred that tipped the balance of support in favour of the BN. I am now acknowledging the need to respond honourably to the situation. I made this decision to resign with a clear conscience and in the knowledge that I had tried to do my best for the people and the state in the past nine years.
As I offer my thanks and appreciation to the people of Sabah for giving us their trust and confidence, I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate the new Chief Minister and his government which will be formed today. It is my hope too that the new government will continue to look after the interests of the people and the state and work to ensure a developed, progressive and just society.
I would also like to assure the new Chief Minister and his government that I will co-operate and do my part to serve the people and the state. I sincerely wish him all the best.
THE COURT’S RULING
Despite the valiant last ditch effort by Datuk Amir Kahar to save the Government of the day the Court disallowed his application. The Court held that:-
“The evidence that a Chief Minister ceases to command the confidence of the majority of members of the Assembly may be found from other extraneous sources and are not confined to the votes taken in the Legislative Assembly provided that, those extraneous sources are properly established. In this case, that extraneous source is to be found in the clear expression contained in the petition by the 30 members to the first defendant and the admission of that fact by Datuk Pairin. This clear expression suffices for the first defendant to exercise his discretion to appoint the second defendant as the new Chief Minister to replace Pairin. The expression ‘lost of confidence’ is not, therefore, confined to a vote taken in the Assembly but depends on the circumstances, which are capable of contributing sufficient evidence to indicate such lack of confidence. So, in the circumstances, I am of the view that the resignation of Pairin on 17 March 1994 was in fact a resignation of the whole members of his Cabinet, including the plaintiff, on account of him ceasing to command the confidence of a majority of the Legislative Assembly notwithstanding that the letter of resignation was silent as to the resignation of the other members of his Cabinet including the plaintiff. Consequently, on the acceptance of the resignation by the first defendant, the whole Cabinet of Datuk Pairin collapsed. “
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Saturday, June 21, 2008
SATURDAY-21ST JUNE 2008-Extra "RM1 bln to build roads in Sabah
Extra ‘RM 1 bln to build
roads in Sabah:
Najib
roads in Sabah:
Najib
Additional funding for 9MP projects due to rising cost
PUTRAJAYA:
Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak, said the Government has approved additional funding of RM595 million to build roads in rural areas. He said the additional funding for the road projects under the Ninth Malaysia Plan was due to rising cost. The funding will come from the RM4 billion allocation that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had recently annnounced, of which RM1 billion each was for Sabah and Sarawak respectively while RM2 billion was for the Peninsular. Najib was speaking to reporters after chairing the Cabinet Committee on Investments and Infrastructure here yesterday. He said the additional funding would assist in completing the roads under 9MP period. “The priority or decisions on other projects will be taken in the near future based on the applications we will be receiving,” he said.
In realising the Government’s aim to provide basic utilities in the rural areas, Najib said a mapping system will be introduced to identify these areas nationwide that have yet to receive adequate roads and supply of water and electricity. “Some rural areas have water but no electricity, some have no roads. These are the things that we need to do mapping in order to have a complete inventory base,” he said. Najib said the committee has also decided to carry out a detailed study to address the needs of estate communities that have been deprived of these basic utilities as they had not been provided by the estate owners. He explained that estates are not included under the rural areas programmes.
“We will study the management of estates. If the Government is to take action, it will have implications. “I am not saying that the Government will take the burden but somebody has to implement this. There is a group of people being marginalised,” he noted. Najib said the committee had also discussed ways to boost the local construction industry, and one way was to promote the usage of Industrial Building System (IBS) which offers ready made parts of certain buildings or infrastructure. “There has been suggestion to limit the intake of foreign workers in order to increase investments in lBS. “If there is still dependency on cheap foreign labour, there would not be any incentive to promote lBS which requires more capital expenditure,” he said. - Bernama
SATURDAY-21ST JUNE 2008-CONTRACTORS SERIOUSLY AFFECTED BY FUEL CRISIS
Contractors seriously affected by fuel crisis Many may have to abandon projects due to costly materials
KOTA KINABALU:
Sabah Builders Association (SBA) President Tsen Kui Lin has expressed his grave concern over the future of the contractors who are seriously affected by the domino effect of the uncontrolled fuel prices hike, in particular on the cost escalation of building materials. He said that contractors are facing the dilemma of either abandoning their ongoing projects (and face the legal consequences) or continue to dig deep into their own pockets to finance the losing projects. “The question is how far could they go before they exhausted all their lifetime savings,” he said yesterday. Tsen noted that since November 2007, the price of steel bars had increased from RM2,400 to RM4,000 a tonne, a whopping 80 per cent increase, while cement price had gone up by 30 per cent and transport 45 per cent. “With the present conditions of contract for construction, the contractors are finding it impossible to manage the cost of construction,” he said. Towards this end, the SBA has been advocating the inclusion of a price fluctuation cause for the affected building materials in all the on-going construction projects as well as new projects, whether they are private and public sector, projects. Lately, the Master Builders Association Malaysia (MBAM) in Kuala Lumpur and the Sarawak Builders Association had voiced the same concern over the issue in order to save the construction sector, he pointed out. Tsen reckoned that for the on-going projects, the fluctuation clause for the affected building materials would partially compensate the contractors and allow them some breathing space to complete them. Contractors are only partially compensated because there are other indirect cost increases which they will not be compensated, he said, adding that it is very costly to reactivate abandoned projects. According to him, for future projects, with the fluctuation clause, the contractors will be able to estimate more realistically over the tender price. He said this way, the owners would save money in the long term as the projects can be completed on time without the risk of being abandoned. “Besides, the small contractors will be spared from any eventualities caused by the sudden price fluctuation of building materials,” said Tsen, urging the Government to take cognizance of this prevailing crisis in the construction industry as many contractors will go bust. “Corrective actions should be speedily implemented by the Government to save the construction industry. Any failure of the construction industry will definitely affect the other industries, including financial institutions and the Government,” he cautioned.
KOTA KINABALU:
Sabah Builders Association (SBA) President Tsen Kui Lin has expressed his grave concern over the future of the contractors who are seriously affected by the domino effect of the uncontrolled fuel prices hike, in particular on the cost escalation of building materials. He said that contractors are facing the dilemma of either abandoning their ongoing projects (and face the legal consequences) or continue to dig deep into their own pockets to finance the losing projects. “The question is how far could they go before they exhausted all their lifetime savings,” he said yesterday. Tsen noted that since November 2007, the price of steel bars had increased from RM2,400 to RM4,000 a tonne, a whopping 80 per cent increase, while cement price had gone up by 30 per cent and transport 45 per cent. “With the present conditions of contract for construction, the contractors are finding it impossible to manage the cost of construction,” he said. Towards this end, the SBA has been advocating the inclusion of a price fluctuation cause for the affected building materials in all the on-going construction projects as well as new projects, whether they are private and public sector, projects. Lately, the Master Builders Association Malaysia (MBAM) in Kuala Lumpur and the Sarawak Builders Association had voiced the same concern over the issue in order to save the construction sector, he pointed out. Tsen reckoned that for the on-going projects, the fluctuation clause for the affected building materials would partially compensate the contractors and allow them some breathing space to complete them. Contractors are only partially compensated because there are other indirect cost increases which they will not be compensated, he said, adding that it is very costly to reactivate abandoned projects. According to him, for future projects, with the fluctuation clause, the contractors will be able to estimate more realistically over the tender price. He said this way, the owners would save money in the long term as the projects can be completed on time without the risk of being abandoned. “Besides, the small contractors will be spared from any eventualities caused by the sudden price fluctuation of building materials,” said Tsen, urging the Government to take cognizance of this prevailing crisis in the construction industry as many contractors will go bust. “Corrective actions should be speedily implemented by the Government to save the construction industry. Any failure of the construction industry will definitely affect the other industries, including financial institutions and the Government,” he cautioned.
SATURDAY-21ST JUNE 2008- NOTHING PERSONAL IN NO-CONFIDENCE MOVE, SAYS YONG
SATURDAY-21ST JUNE 2008
Nothing Personal in No-Confidence move, says Yong
KOTA KINABALU:
Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) President Datuk Yong Teck Lee reiterated that the move to support a motion of no-confidence against the Prime Minister was nothing personal.
He said there was a Senatorship offer made through Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman, and that if he accepted the post, it would be announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
“I told him that if PM announced, then it would not be nice for me to accept, so I told him (Musa) there was no need to do so,” he said.
“On June 17, just a day before I made the announcement to support a motion on vote of no-confidence on the PM, I received a confidential letter from the Cabinet Division of the Prime Minister’s Department, but since it is a confidential letter, I cannot reveal its content.
“But PM had already said that it is a nomination letter for a Senatorship post in the Dewan Negara. I then spoke to CM whether the post was offered to shut my mouth and I said it in a body language, and he (Musa) said no.
“But when I received the letter, I was not sure whether it was a bribe … It was a political bribe. Then during a luncheon with the PM, we spoke and I did not say much as I respect the PM’s privacy. I was shocked when he said he could not satisfy my personal greed.
“I never asked for anything from him and in fact, the offer came from CM, I told him that it was unnecessary as it would be seen as shutting my mouth. But if there is a post, then it could be given to one of the eligible SAPP members.
“Again the offer came during our meeting with PM on May 13 where he had said in passing that he had never seen a long for senator, and that they have a role for me. But I felt that it was just a bait, so I stopped there,” explained Yong.
Yong said he had never mentioned anything personal with the PM, adding that they had not even mentioned a thing about the Premier in the Party’s blog.
He also denied claims that Parti Keadilan Rakyat adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had offered him a bigger role than Senator.
Yong said that during his meeting with Anwar on two occasions in Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur, they spoke on problems of Asian renaissance, where they both gave the global view on the issues in Asia today, food crisis and the number of issues attacking Sabah, including the longstanding illegal immigrants issue.
Meanwhile, Yong said he was shocked when a corruption case, which was filed 12 years ago emerged suddenly, and implicating his name.
“I am curious about the timing the Anti Corruption Agency decided to bring the case up in court. I believe I am the target and that is was to serve as a warning to others to back off,” he said.
“The case was brought up 12 years ago, why it is emerging now? Why not last week? ACA had taken my statement about four to five years ago; I cannot remember how many hours I had to spend with them but I was there to give my statement, then suddenly the case emerges,” he said, referring to the case where the court heard that Yong, the then Chief Minister, had ordered payment of over RM5 million profit from the sale of shares belonging to a State-owned company to his selected agents in 1996.
“If this is a threat so that we can compromise our struggles, then it is not right. I am willing to accept anything, this is my struggle for the people and Sabah,” he said.
“If I am wrong, if I am arrested, if I am charged in court, if I am imprisoned, what can I do, but do not use this as a bargaining chip, it is a threat and could jeopardize our political struggle,” he said.
Nothing Personal in No-Confidence move, says Yong
KOTA KINABALU:
Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) President Datuk Yong Teck Lee reiterated that the move to support a motion of no-confidence against the Prime Minister was nothing personal.
He said there was a Senatorship offer made through Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman, and that if he accepted the post, it would be announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
“I told him that if PM announced, then it would not be nice for me to accept, so I told him (Musa) there was no need to do so,” he said.
“On June 17, just a day before I made the announcement to support a motion on vote of no-confidence on the PM, I received a confidential letter from the Cabinet Division of the Prime Minister’s Department, but since it is a confidential letter, I cannot reveal its content.
“But PM had already said that it is a nomination letter for a Senatorship post in the Dewan Negara. I then spoke to CM whether the post was offered to shut my mouth and I said it in a body language, and he (Musa) said no.
“But when I received the letter, I was not sure whether it was a bribe … It was a political bribe. Then during a luncheon with the PM, we spoke and I did not say much as I respect the PM’s privacy. I was shocked when he said he could not satisfy my personal greed.
“I never asked for anything from him and in fact, the offer came from CM, I told him that it was unnecessary as it would be seen as shutting my mouth. But if there is a post, then it could be given to one of the eligible SAPP members.
“Again the offer came during our meeting with PM on May 13 where he had said in passing that he had never seen a long for senator, and that they have a role for me. But I felt that it was just a bait, so I stopped there,” explained Yong.
Yong said he had never mentioned anything personal with the PM, adding that they had not even mentioned a thing about the Premier in the Party’s blog.
He also denied claims that Parti Keadilan Rakyat adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had offered him a bigger role than Senator.
Yong said that during his meeting with Anwar on two occasions in Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur, they spoke on problems of Asian renaissance, where they both gave the global view on the issues in Asia today, food crisis and the number of issues attacking Sabah, including the longstanding illegal immigrants issue.
Meanwhile, Yong said he was shocked when a corruption case, which was filed 12 years ago emerged suddenly, and implicating his name.
“I am curious about the timing the Anti Corruption Agency decided to bring the case up in court. I believe I am the target and that is was to serve as a warning to others to back off,” he said.
“The case was brought up 12 years ago, why it is emerging now? Why not last week? ACA had taken my statement about four to five years ago; I cannot remember how many hours I had to spend with them but I was there to give my statement, then suddenly the case emerges,” he said, referring to the case where the court heard that Yong, the then Chief Minister, had ordered payment of over RM5 million profit from the sale of shares belonging to a State-owned company to his selected agents in 1996.
“If this is a threat so that we can compromise our struggles, then it is not right. I am willing to accept anything, this is my struggle for the people and Sabah,” he said.
“If I am wrong, if I am arrested, if I am charged in court, if I am imprisoned, what can I do, but do not use this as a bargaining chip, it is a threat and could jeopardize our political struggle,” he said.
SATURDAY- 21ST JUNE 2008-SAPP ready to be expelled
SAPP ready to be expelled
Supreme Council endorses motion of no-confidence: Yong
KOTA KINABALU:
Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Supreme Council unanimously agreed to support a motion on a vote of no-confidence against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in the coming Parliamentary sitting, according to its President Datuk Yong Teck Lee.
Describing the decision as “consensus of the Supreme Council members”, Yong said they had endorsed the motion during their five-and-a–half-hour closed door meeting.
Asked whether his Deputy, Datuk Raymond Tan Shu Kiah, was agreeable to the decision, Yong said twice that “before we started the meeting, our decision was that all of us would accept whatever decision that would be made”. “All Supreme Council members will accept whatever decision to be made by the Supreme Council irrespective of their personal views. Having argued on that, all councilors will accept whatsoever the decision, it is that we will endorse the proposal of vote of no-confidence by our two Members of Parliament (Datuk Eric Majimbun (Sepanggar) and Datuk Chua Soon Bui (Tawau),” he said.
Yong said there was no vote taken, stressing that it was all consensus.
Of the 35 Supreme Council members, only 29 attended the meeting, including SAPP Deputy President Datuk Raymond Tan and Luyang Assemblywoman Melanie Chia, both of whom were absent from the party’s press conference on Wednesday.
Asked whether the decision was made on the issue of pulling out from the ruling coalition, Yong replied that initially it was not on the agenda, but the matter was raised and discussed, and they agreed that there was no decision to pull out of BN.
“Are we still in BN? That one you will have to ask the BN leadership. Why are we still in BN? Well, we have made a decision to endorse no-confidence vote on PM; we take it from there, today is not the end of the story,” Yong said.
“But we were surprised when the BN Supreme Council did not inform and invite us to attend the emergency meeting held in Kuala Lumpur yesterday (Thursday). We are after all still a component party.
“Are we waiting for expulsion? We are ready to accept the consequences,” Yong told media representatives at the SAPP headquarters at Bornion Centre here yesterday.
He said SAPP would only write officially to BN to explain the Party’s stand if they receive a written request from the coalition. To date, there is none.
“I was told that the reason why SAPP was not invited is because they wanted to discuss about SAPP but there was no decision made for whatsoever reason. And I was told that throughout the three-and-half-hour meeting, they were discussing about SAPP and not issues raised by us,” he said.
“If they can spend three-and-a-half hours to talk on how to deal with SAPP, why didn’t they talk about why SAPP made this stand, which are the issues raised such as economy, illegal immigrants, increase in the prices of fuel and products, security and autonomy, among others?” he asked.
Yong was confident that the Party will remain intact, stressing that it would even grow stronger especially as they have been receiving overwhelming response and encouragement via hundreds of SMSes, e-mails and the people visiting the SAPP blog.
Asked whether he expected anyone to leave SAPP, Yong quickly replid:”No.”
To another question whether SAPP was still committed to BN, Yong said that they are committed to its platform and causes.
Touching on the fate of SAPP Assemblymen and MPs, Yong said he would leave the matter to the State Government to decide, adding, “We will leave matters related to the Government to the Government.”
Supreme Council endorses motion of no-confidence: Yong
KOTA KINABALU:
Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Supreme Council unanimously agreed to support a motion on a vote of no-confidence against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in the coming Parliamentary sitting, according to its President Datuk Yong Teck Lee.
Describing the decision as “consensus of the Supreme Council members”, Yong said they had endorsed the motion during their five-and-a–half-hour closed door meeting.
Asked whether his Deputy, Datuk Raymond Tan Shu Kiah, was agreeable to the decision, Yong said twice that “before we started the meeting, our decision was that all of us would accept whatever decision that would be made”. “All Supreme Council members will accept whatever decision to be made by the Supreme Council irrespective of their personal views. Having argued on that, all councilors will accept whatsoever the decision, it is that we will endorse the proposal of vote of no-confidence by our two Members of Parliament (Datuk Eric Majimbun (Sepanggar) and Datuk Chua Soon Bui (Tawau),” he said.
Yong said there was no vote taken, stressing that it was all consensus.
Of the 35 Supreme Council members, only 29 attended the meeting, including SAPP Deputy President Datuk Raymond Tan and Luyang Assemblywoman Melanie Chia, both of whom were absent from the party’s press conference on Wednesday.
Asked whether the decision was made on the issue of pulling out from the ruling coalition, Yong replied that initially it was not on the agenda, but the matter was raised and discussed, and they agreed that there was no decision to pull out of BN.
“Are we still in BN? That one you will have to ask the BN leadership. Why are we still in BN? Well, we have made a decision to endorse no-confidence vote on PM; we take it from there, today is not the end of the story,” Yong said.
“But we were surprised when the BN Supreme Council did not inform and invite us to attend the emergency meeting held in Kuala Lumpur yesterday (Thursday). We are after all still a component party.
“Are we waiting for expulsion? We are ready to accept the consequences,” Yong told media representatives at the SAPP headquarters at Bornion Centre here yesterday.
He said SAPP would only write officially to BN to explain the Party’s stand if they receive a written request from the coalition. To date, there is none.
“I was told that the reason why SAPP was not invited is because they wanted to discuss about SAPP but there was no decision made for whatsoever reason. And I was told that throughout the three-and-half-hour meeting, they were discussing about SAPP and not issues raised by us,” he said.
“If they can spend three-and-a-half hours to talk on how to deal with SAPP, why didn’t they talk about why SAPP made this stand, which are the issues raised such as economy, illegal immigrants, increase in the prices of fuel and products, security and autonomy, among others?” he asked.
Yong was confident that the Party will remain intact, stressing that it would even grow stronger especially as they have been receiving overwhelming response and encouragement via hundreds of SMSes, e-mails and the people visiting the SAPP blog.
Asked whether he expected anyone to leave SAPP, Yong quickly replid:”No.”
To another question whether SAPP was still committed to BN, Yong said that they are committed to its platform and causes.
Touching on the fate of SAPP Assemblymen and MPs, Yong said he would leave the matter to the State Government to decide, adding, “We will leave matters related to the Government to the Government.”
Friday, June 20, 2008
FRIDAY-20TH JUNE 2008- MUSA LEAVES IT TO TAN TO DECIDE ON NEXT MOVE
Musa leaves it to Tan to decide on next move
KOTA KINABALU:
KOTA KINABALU:
Sabah Barisan Nasional Chairman Datuk Seri Musa Aman would leave it to Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Deputy President Datuk Raymond Tan Shu Kiah to decide on his next course of action. Asked whether he would advise Tan to join another political party, the Chief Minister replied: “That is entirely up to him.” Musa said Tan had made a clear and good stand when commenting on the SAPP’s move to seek a motion of no confidence against the Prime Minister. Tan had said that he was confused and embarrassed by the Party’s move, adding the SAPP Supreme Council had not been consulted over the matter, and believed that the action was carried out arbitrarily by its President, Datuk Yong Teck Lee. Musa, who described Tan as a hardworking Minister, said all the Cabinet Ministers have been working closely together like one big happy family despite coming from different parties under the umbrella of Barisan Nasional. “He (Tan) is my Deputy Chief Minister, so he knows how we work. He is in the Cabinet and he knows what is being done by the Government, and we have been working very well,” he said. “It has been very cordial between us all in the Cabinet. We propose, discuss and decide matters pertaining to the good of the State together. The fact that we come from different parties is no problem. He (Tan) knows, may be Datuk Yong is not in the cabinet, so he does not know what happening.” Musa also said that he often tells his colleagues in the cabinet to do ‘less talking, less politicking, and more work.’ “I believe that is the safest way so that the people will see how committed we are in carrying out the responsibilities mandated to us.” He said.Asked about SAPP’s stand and whether it’s representation in the Government was affected, Musa said: “The central BN had their meeting today, they will make the decision.”
FRIDAY-20TH JUNE 2008- YONG'S NO-CONFIDENCE MOVE IRRATIONAL: CM
Yong’s no-confidence move irrational: CM
KOTA KINABALU:
It was irrational for an experienced politician such as Datuk Yong Teck Lee to declare loss of confidence against the Prime Minister, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman. He said the issues raised by the Sabah Progressive Party President to support the vote of no confidence on Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi are “invalid”. “The Federal Government has been very helpful to meet Sabah’s needs. And this is also due to the constant communication between the State Government and our Federal counterpart,” Musa told a press conference at Sri Gaya here yesterday. “I have always voiced out the State Government’s needs to the Prime Minister during meetings and the requests would be entertained almost immediately. I do realise that sometimes there is a delay in approval but somehow, it will be approved after some time,” he said. “He gave approval to the request for the 300- megawatt power plant in Kimanis, which would see the collaboration between Petronas and Yayasan Sabah, and the huge allocation from the Federal Government to carry out development projects under the five-year Malaysia Plan and the 18-year holistic Sabah Development Corridor project. “Just recently, the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry had approved an additional RM75 million for our agriculture sector in Sabah and there was an additional RM1.8 billion to further improve our supply of clean water and electricity, as well as infrastructure facilities all over the State. This shows that the Federal Government does care and understand our problems.” Musa, who is also the Sabah Barisan Nasional Chairman, also strongly disagreed with Yong’s claims that the ‘window of opportunity’ for Sabah is very limited and soon problems in the State will be forgotten. “What does he (Yong) mean by limited window of opportunity; we have lots of opportunities, and the Country’s top leaders have always listened to our plight” he said. “The Federal Government has abolished the State Federal Development Department (JPPS) and the call for locals to hold important posts in the Federal Government departments and agencies, has also already happened. “Illegal immigrants-related problems have also been raised frequently but we have to understand that it is not an easy issue as it involves other countries, but that does not mean we are not tackling it. “In fact, the High Powered Cabinet Committee on Illegal Immigrants was recently set up to look into the issue, which is chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak,” Musa said. On political autonomy, Musa said: “We (State Cabinet) have been operating on our own, including managing the State funds and administration. And I as the Chief Minister have my powers to manage the State; the Federal Government has never interfered in the State matters.” On the request for additional 15 per cent oil royalty, Musa said they have also made a similar request but it was not approved. “May be if we do not get it this time, we will get it some other time. The 20 per cent oil royalty is good but we have to understand the current situation. “We also understand that the people are suffering due to the fuel prices hike, and as explained by the top leaders many times, the Government is doing its level best to lighten the people’s burden. “But, although additional oil royalty has yet to happen, Sabah is lucky as we have been getting big allocations in terms of development funds from the Federal Government,” he said. Asked whether he thought the five per cent oil royalty is sufficient, Musa said: “I cannot say it is sufficient, but to me, as long as they keep giving us money (allocations), it is good enough. What is more important is for the money to keep coming in for development in Sabah.”
FRIDAY-20TH JUNE 2008- NO EXPULSION FOR SAPP
No expulsion for SAPP
BN Supreme Council believes Yong’s statement is not Party’s stand, says Abdullah
BN Supreme Council believes Yong’s statement is not Party’s stand, says Abdullah
KUALA LUMPUR:
The Barisan Nasional (BN) Supreme Council has decided not to expel the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) as it believes the statement by its President, Datuk Yong Teck Lee, yesterday was not the stand of the Party, said Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. “As far as I know, it (Yong’s statement) is not the stand of the Party. The statement came from Yong Teck Lee personally. That’s why we are not taking action against the party,” said the Prime Minister, who is also the BN chairman, at a press conference after an emergency meeting of the BN Supreme Council here yesterday. In Kota Kinabalu on Wednesday, Yong, who is also a former Sabah Chief Minister, said the Party had lost confidence in the Prime Minister and would support a motion on a vote of ‘no confidence’ against Abdullah at the Dewan Rakyat sitting beginning Monday. Abdullah had chaired the BN Supreme Council emergency meeting which lasted more than three hours at Menara Datuk Onn to discuss Yong’s statement. Responding to a question, Abdullah said it was up to SAPP to take whatever action against Yong for his statement. “Whatever decision the Party wants to make concerning the action of its President is up to the Party,” he said. When asked whether the BN would take action against two SAPP MPs, Abdullah said action would only be taken if they make similar statements in the Dewan Rakyat. In his statement, Yong said two SAPP MPs Datuk Eric Enchin Majimbun (Sepanggar) and Datuk Dr Chua Soon Bui (Tawau) would support the motion of no confidence. “They have not yet made any statements in the Dewan Rakyat. If they had done so, then we can take action because in the House, we have party discipline and the (Government) whip. “We will of course take action if they go against party discipline,” he said, adding that BN had once taken action against a MP from MIC, as well as two BN Assembly members in Penang. To a question, Abdullah stressed that BN was not afraid to take action but wanted to make sure that any decisions made were the right ones. “This is not the question of being afraid or not. The issue is, we need to make the correct decision. We cannot make a hasty decision against a party which have not yet made any decision on the matter. “Otherwise, we will be seen as having taken an action without knowing whether the matter was really a decision made by the Party or only made by its leader. That is important for us to consider. “We have to be correct in wanting to take any kind of action against anybody or against institution or against any component party,” he said. Asked whether a show cause letter would be sent to the Party, Abdullah said, “We have not asked them to show cause because they have not done anything wrong at the moment.” He said yesterday’s meeting was important as it discussed an issue involving the head of a BN component party. He said that BN component parties rejected the statement made by Yong. “It was clear that no one supported him. None of them say the statement (by Yong) is acceptable. All of them expressed their shock and regret over the statement, which is against the BN’s principles,” he said. Abdullah also said the meeting agreed not to issue any warning or advice to component parties or their leaders as they already knew their duties and responsibilities towards the BN and the people.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
THURSDAY-19TH JUNE 2008- BARISAN COMPONENT LEADERS STAND BY PRIME MINISTER
Barisan component leaders stand by Prime Minister
KUALA LUMPUR:
Barisan Nasional component leaders vowed to stand steadfastly with Datuk Seri Abdu
llah Ahmad Badawi in light of the announcement by Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) yesterday that a vote of no confidence will be tabled against the Prime Minister in Parliament next week. MCA President Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting said what the country needed now was political and economic stability as the country and the people were going through very challenging times. “It would be best that all of us, both the BN and the Pakatan Rakyat, accept the results of the 12th General Election. Our priority should be to continue to work hard to fulfill our election pledges, restore confidence and stability for the nation,” he said in a statement. SAPP President Datuk Yong Teck Lee said that his party had lost confidence in Abdullah and the SAPP’s two Members of Parliament would support the motion to be brought up in Parliament on Monday. Meanwhile, Gerakan Acting President Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said the party would not support such a move as forcing a vote of no confidence in such a manner was not positive and constructive. “Malaysia is currently facing severe challenges from the global fuel and food crisis as well as the economic uncertainties. Hence, it is crucial to sustain the solidarity and stability of the Federal Government by our Prime Minister to overcome these challenges and to implement reforms,” he said in a statement. He said Gerakan was surprised by the announcement and felt that such a drastic political move would only add to the uncertainty, disrupting efforts in reforms. “I can still remember Yong announcing in May a deadline of August for the Prime Minister and Federal Government to address the grievances of the Sabah people,” he said.
llah Ahmad Badawi in light of the announcement by Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) yesterday that a vote of no confidence will be tabled against the Prime Minister in Parliament next week. MCA President Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting said what the country needed now was political and economic stability as the country and the people were going through very challenging times. “It would be best that all of us, both the BN and the Pakatan Rakyat, accept the results of the 12th General Election. Our priority should be to continue to work hard to fulfill our election pledges, restore confidence and stability for the nation,” he said in a statement. SAPP President Datuk Yong Teck Lee said that his party had lost confidence in Abdullah and the SAPP’s two Members of Parliament would support the motion to be brought up in Parliament on Monday. Meanwhile, Gerakan Acting President Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said the party would not support such a move as forcing a vote of no confidence in such a manner was not positive and constructive. “Malaysia is currently facing severe challenges from the global fuel and food crisis as well as the economic uncertainties. Hence, it is crucial to sustain the solidarity and stability of the Federal Government by our Prime Minister to overcome these challenges and to implement reforms,” he said in a statement. He said Gerakan was surprised by the announcement and felt that such a drastic political move would only add to the uncertainty, disrupting efforts in reforms. “I can still remember Yong announcing in May a deadline of August for the Prime Minister and Federal Government to address the grievances of the Sabah people,” he said.
THURSDAY-19TH JUNE 2008- NO MOTION OF NO CONFIDENCE YET, SAYS DEWAN RAKYAT SPEAKER
No motion of no confidence yet, says Dewan Rakyat Speaker
KUALA LUMPUR:
KUALA LUMPUR:
Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia says he has not received any notice from any party with regard to any motion of no confidence against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. “I have not received anything yet. No notice has been submitted to my office so far,” he told Bernama last night. He said any party could submit a request to table a motion based on two provisions under the Standing Orders. The first is Order 27(1) which provides for a motion to be tabled by any member of Parliament (MP) on any specific subject but the MP must give a 14-day notice while the second is Order 18(1) when the House debates a motion of public interest deemed as urgent. Unlike Order 27(1) where a 14-day notice is needed, Order 18(1) only needs a 48-hour notice or two clear working days. This mean, whoever is planning to table the motion on Monday must submit the notice to the Dewan Rakyat speaker by today at the latest. When asked would he accept such a requisition, Pandikar said any MP could propose a motion in the House provided it meets the provisions of the Standing Orders. “Whether it is going to be accepted or not, I would have to look at it first before making a decision,” he said. Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) President Datuk Yong Teck Lee in declaring that his party has lost confidence in Abdullah’s leadership, said the party’s two MPs (Sepanggar and Tawau) would support a motion for a vote of no confidence against the Prime Minister in the Parliament sitting on Monday. Yong who is a former Sabah Chief Minister, said Sepanggar MP Datuk Eric Enchin Majimbun, who is now overseas on official duty, had made his stand in a signed press statement while Tawau MP Datuk Dr Chua Soon Bui read out her statement during a press conference at the party’s headquarters in Kota Kinabalu. “Whether the motion will be tabled by our MPs or another MP will be decided in due course,” Yong said at the press conference. Yong said Eric was expected to return to Malaysia in time for the Parliament session on June 23. - Bernama
THURSDAY-19TH JUNE 2008- MAHATHIR DENIES ORDERING JUDGES TO BOOT CAMP
Mahathir denies ordering judges to boot camp
KUALA LUMPUR:
Former Premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad on Wednesday denied allegations that he threatened to sack judges and ordered them to attend boot camps for pro-government indoctrination. The 82-year-old Mahathir, who is criticised for suppressing judicial and press freedoms during his two decades in power, faced the claims from a top judge who made the revelations in open court. “At no time did Tissue any threat against the judges,” Mahathir said on his website. Mahathir admitted that authorities had conducted courses on the national ethos, where speakers explained Malaysia’s political system with reference to ethics, moral values and democracy. “Thousands of people from all walks of life attended these work camps. There were hardly any complaints,” he said. Justice Ian Chin said he was targeted by Mahathir after refusing to award “astronomical” payouts in two libel cases in 1997, while a judge who agreed with the then premier’s views was promoted to the Federal Court. Afterwards, Chin reportedly said he was packed off to a five-day boot camp with selected judges and judicial officers. It was without doubt “an attempt to indoctrinate those attending the boot camp to hold the view that the Government interest as being more important than all else when we are considering our judgement,” Chin said. Mahathir stood down in 2003 and his successor Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has been criticised for failing to carry out his promises to tackle corruption, which is deeply entrenched in politics and business. Chin’s allegations add to the pall cast over the country’s judiciary by a recent Royal Commission into a sensational Mahathir-era video clip that showed a top lawyer brokering judicial appointments with the help of politicians. -AFP
THURSDAY-19TH JUNE 2008- HSBC CUSTOMER DONATES RM50,000 PRIZE TO CHARITIES
HSBC customer donates RM50,000 prize to charities
KOTA KINABALU:
A generous gesture by a lucky customer gave a boost to the charity programme of Hongkong and Shanghai Bank Corp (HSBC) and benefited 10 charities in Sabah. HSBC Malaysia Premier and Corporate customer Datuk Victor Paul, who won the RM50,000 grand prize of HSBC ‘Festive Cash Giveaway’ credit card campaign, donated the prize to charities. Revealing this at the presentation of a RM100,000 donation to the 10 charities at the Bank here yesterday, HSBC Area Director for East Malaysia, Thomas Varughese, said: “Upon learning his win, RM50,000, Datuk Paul approached the Bank, informing he would like to donate the money to charities, suggesting that HSBC match his win ringgit for ringgit. “We agreed to his suggestion and we now have RM 100,000 to donate to various charities. “Datuk Paul and the Bank selected ten charities consisting of the orphans, hardcore poor and prisoners’ children, hospice care centre and homes for the disabled.” Receiving the RM10,000 donation each yesterday were Komiti Hospis St Francis Xavier Keningau, Darul Bakti, Sabah Cheshire Home, Rumah Kanak-Kanak Kota Kinabalu, Taman Didikan Kanak-Kanak Kurang Upaya Sembulan, Prison Fellowship, Sabah Society for the Deaf, Taman Sri Stella Tawau, First Step Labuan and San Damiano Hostel Kiulu. “HSBC, the world’s local bank, always strives to give back to the community in which we operate and it is heartening to know that our customers also share the same views and Datuk Victor Paul is a fine example of a true HSBC custome
r,” said Thomas during the presentation ceremony. Datuk Paul, who was unable to attend the event, was represented by Andrew Steven, Assistant Human Resource Manager of Timatch and Ellen Chung, Human Resource Executive of Timatch.
r,” said Thomas during the presentation ceremony. Datuk Paul, who was unable to attend the event, was represented by Andrew Steven, Assistant Human Resource Manager of Timatch and Ellen Chung, Human Resource Executive of Timatch.
THURSDAY-19TH JUNE 2008- SUPREME COUNCIL NOT CONSULTED, SAYS CONFUSED TAN
Supreme Council not consulted, says confused Tan
KOTA KINABALU:
SAPP Deputy President Datuk Raymond Tan said that he is confused and embarrassed about the Party’s move to seek a motion of no confidence against the Prime Minister. He also said that the Party’s Supreme Council had not been consulted over the issue of no confidence against Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Tan said he believed that the action, was carried out arbitrarily by Party President Datuk Yong Teck Lee However, he said that he would attend the Supreme Council meeting on Friday despite wondering why the Party would want to announce something before a decision is made. “It is not proper for us to do it when Abdullah is the Barisan Nasional Chairman. It is disrespectful to the Prime Minister,” said Tan, who is Deputy Chief Minister cum infrastructure Development Minister. “It should be a decision made by the Supreme Council. I think the position would be more certain. I do not know what he (Yong) has in mind to decide at the Supreme Council. “If already pre-planned and done, what are we going to discuss? The damage is done. These are things going through my mind,” he said, adding that it was embarrassing as SAPP won its seats on BN tickets and now we are said to be working with the Opposition. Tan said that he was not making any stand on the issue at the moment and would attend the meeting though he remains confused over the developments. “I am not going to say anything about my future as I have no plans. We will hear Out what they have to say at the Supreme Council,” Tan said when asked if he would quit the party if he was against the move. He said SAPP was very vocal and even blunt on Sabah issues and the Federal Government had been responding to the various requests. Tan had on Monday denied speculations that SAPP would be pulling out of BN following media speculations, On Tuesday, Tan was among those who attended the Chief Executive Officers Conference which was officially closed by Abdullah.
THURSDAY-19TH JUNE 2008- SIMPLE ULTIMATUM CAUSES POLITICAL RIPPLES
Simple ultimatum causes political ripples
KOTA KINABALU:
KOTA KINABALU:
It all started with a simple ultimatum. On May 13, Sabah Progressive Party(SAPP)President Datuk Yong Teck Lee gave Barisan Nasional (BN) until August to resolve outstanding issues in Sabah. “After August, there will be no guarantee that SAPP members will remain in Barisan,” he said. The grumblings did not stop there. SAPP continued to be vocal in voicing out numerous problems affecting the State, including the issue of illegal immigrants and “Project IC”. Many may have thought that the SAPP was merely “fishing in troubled waters” for political survival. On what is seen as a political strategy, SAPP Deputy President Datuk Raymond Tan on Monday denied the report that the party was on the verge of ditching BN, saying it was “mere speculation”. Yesterday, Yong, a former Sabah Chief Minister, dropped a bombshell by declaring that the Party had lost confidence in Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. At the same time, he announced that both SAPP Members of Parliament Datuk Eric Enchin Majimbun (Sepanggar) and Datuk Dr Chua Soon Bui would support a motion for a vote of no confidence on the Prime Minister in the coming Parliament sitting on Monday. “We must make a stand before the window of opportunities closes. This window of opportunity closes by August after which Sabah will be forgotten again. “We have voiced out Sabah issues including illegal immigrants to the Federal Government but they seem to be playing delaying tactics. We can no longer tolerate their insensitivities towards the Sabah issues that are real and serious,” he said. As to the future direction of the party, Yong said the party would hold its supreme council meeting on Friday. SAPP, a Sabah-based political party, was registered on Jan21, 1994 and it is one of the 14 component parties in the ruling BN coalition. Political observer Lesaya Lopog Sarudim said the decision by the two SAPP Members of Parliament was expected as there was a lot of dissatisfaction in Sabah. He said there must be enough reasons for SAPP making such a drastic move considering the party has been with BN for more than a decade. “Maybe they have come to a situation where they can no longer stay up to BN’s situation with regard to how they treat fellow component parties. “In my view, initially it will trigger a lot of discussions. In fact, currently the feeling of dissatisfaction is there, the only thing is that they do not want to discuss it openly. Whatever it is, the BN coalition is still intact at least for now,” he added. -Bernama
THURSDAY-19TH JUNE 2008- DECLARATION ABSURD AND DEPLORABLE, SAYS LDP
Declaration absurd and deplorable, says LDP
LDP President Datuk V K Liew has described the action by SAPP in declaring no confidence against the Prime Minister as absurd and deplorable. He said it was calculated to destabilize the BN Coalition Government and oust Abdullah who is a legitimate Prime Minister voted in by and for people in the last general election. “I find it absolutely deplorable for SAPP to make such an absurd and nonsensical move of no confidence on Pak Lah,” said Liew yesterday. The Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister was commenting on the declaration by SAPP President Datuk Seri Panglima Yong Teck Lee, yesterday that the SAPP had lost confidence in the leadership of Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Liew said Yong’s move was personal and that the latter has no interest of the State and the people in mind. “He (Yong) is doing it for his own agenda. It is Liew calculated to destabilize the Coalition Government and to oust Pak Lah who is a legitimate PM. “This arm twisting tactic by Yong is politically unacceptable and should be discouraged,” said Liew. As for the LDP, he reiterated the Party’s undivided loyalty to the BN and dedication to its cause and struggle. “We will continue to throw our fullest support to Pak lah as our PM,” Liew assured.
THURSDAY-19TH JUNE 2008- PAKATAN RAKYAT TO BACK NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE ON PM
Pakatan Rakyat to back no-confidence vote on PM
PAKATAN Rakyat will support a motion for a vote of no-confidence against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in Parliament on Monday, according to Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim. “Yes,” he said when asked whether Pakatan Rakyat support the motion expected to be tabled in Monday’s Parliament session, after chairing the State Exco meeting in Shah Alam yesterday. Abdul Khalid said: “It is a good news to me but we, at Pakatan Rakyat, welcome participation by new members to the group... but we will, of course, work towards establishing a more people-oriented Malaysia,” he said. SAPP has made no mention of quitting the BN so far. Asked whether he would relinquish his Bandar Tun Razak parliamentary seat for Parti Keadilan Rakyat de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Abdul Khalid said: “I feel there is speculation but I had given a would statement that every Keadilan Member of Parliament will offer their seats to Anwar, including myself.” Nevertheless, he said this matter needed to be discussed by Anwar. Khalid believed Anwar is focusing more on ensuring that Pakatan Rakyat would gain control of Parliament and the Government within a short period of time, instead of contesting in a by-election. - Bernama.
THURSDAY-19TH JUNE 2008- MUSA DISAPPOINTED WITH SAPP
Musa disappointed with SAPP
SABAH Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Arnan has expressed disappointment over the declaration by SAPP President Datuk Yong Teck Lee that his Party’s MPs will support a no-confidence vote on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. “I’m not sure what is SAPP’s real motive in making such a move,” he said in a statement. As a Barisan Nasional (BN) Component Party President, Yong’s act was uncalled for and unprecedented in. the spirit of camaraderie adopted by BN all this while, according to Musa. Musa, who is Sabah BN Chairman, was commenting on the declaration by Yong that SAPP had lost confidence in Abdullah, who himself was in Sabah Tuesday to close the Second International CEO Conference in Kota Kinabalu. Yong claimed that SAPP’s two MPs for Sepanggar Datuk Eric Majimbun and Tawau Datuk Dr Chua Soon Bui, would support a motion for a vote of no confidence against the Prime Minister in the coming Parliament sitting on Monday.
THURSDAY-19TH JUNE 2008- PM SAYS HE HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO SATISFY YONG'S GREED
PM says he has not been able to satisfy Yong’s greed
PUTRAJAYA:
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said SAPP President Datuk Yong Teck Lee’s latest action in declaring no confidence against him (Abdullah) has been due to the fact that “I have not been able to satisfy his personal greed.” Abdullah did not elaborate but his aides told Bernama that the Prime Minister would elaborate at a later date. Yong has declared his Party, a Chinese-based BN Component Party, had lost confidence in Abdullah Of late, the former Sabah Chief Minister, who served for two years under the controversial System of Rotation, had been critical of Abdullah’s political decisions on Sabah as well as the move to increase fuel prices. — Bernama.
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