Barisan has until August to resolve Sabah issues, says Yong
The Star (14/5/08): Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president Datuk Yong Teck Lee has given Barisan Nasional an ultimatum to resolve Sabah’s issues by August.
After that, there will be no guarantee that SAPP members will remain in Barisan, he told reporters at Parliament lobby here yesterday.
He said, however, that the 16 Sabah MPs speculated to cross over to Pakatan Rakyat today were not from SAPP.
He said this did not mean that Barisan leaders should rule out the possibility that his members could leave the coalition in the near future.
He said now was the opportunity for Sabah to push its requests to the Federal Government.
“This is the best time for Sabah but it is also the most important time for Barisan to do something for Sabah because if we do not do something, Sabah will be returned to its subservient role after August, as September is the fasting month, October is Hari Raya and December is the Umno general election.
“If nothing happens, an explosion will take place in January, where the Opposition will come into play,” he said.
Asked if he was approached by Pakatan Rakyat or Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, he said it was not necessary to be approached as Anwar had already announced an attractive offer during the election campaign.
“Anwar is clearly a factor, the announcement of Sabah getting 20% of oil royalties means we will get RM2bil a year,” he said.
Yong also said the real question in Sabah was not whether Barisan MPs would cross over but the actual problems that Sabah had been facing.
“Crossovers only concern the central government because they are worried about their own stability,” he said.
He also said if nothing were to happen until next January, Barisan leaders would “come after those Sabah MPs who are speaking up now”.
Earlier, Yong met up with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and asked him to resolve the issues in Sabah.
He said Abdullah was concerned and agreed that the Government would look into the issues.
Yong also said that issues such as illegal immigrants and cooking oil subsidies were not new but Barisan had not been doing anything to resolve them.
Citing the example of the Cooking Oil Subsidy Scheme, he said it was not fair for the Government to force Sabah oil palm growers to bear the subsidies since June 2007, when cooking oil is consumed by the whole country.
“Sabah planters make up two-thirds of the (total) number in the country so basically they are paying two-thirds of the subsidies.
“We have raised this subject but the Government said they will look into it, and they have been looking into the matter for 11 months already,” he said.
After that, there will be no guarantee that SAPP members will remain in Barisan, he told reporters at Parliament lobby here yesterday.
He said, however, that the 16 Sabah MPs speculated to cross over to Pakatan Rakyat today were not from SAPP.
He said this did not mean that Barisan leaders should rule out the possibility that his members could leave the coalition in the near future.
He said now was the opportunity for Sabah to push its requests to the Federal Government.
“This is the best time for Sabah but it is also the most important time for Barisan to do something for Sabah because if we do not do something, Sabah will be returned to its subservient role after August, as September is the fasting month, October is Hari Raya and December is the Umno general election.
“If nothing happens, an explosion will take place in January, where the Opposition will come into play,” he said.
Asked if he was approached by Pakatan Rakyat or Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, he said it was not necessary to be approached as Anwar had already announced an attractive offer during the election campaign.
“Anwar is clearly a factor, the announcement of Sabah getting 20% of oil royalties means we will get RM2bil a year,” he said.
Yong also said the real question in Sabah was not whether Barisan MPs would cross over but the actual problems that Sabah had been facing.
“Crossovers only concern the central government because they are worried about their own stability,” he said.
He also said if nothing were to happen until next January, Barisan leaders would “come after those Sabah MPs who are speaking up now”.
Earlier, Yong met up with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and asked him to resolve the issues in Sabah.
He said Abdullah was concerned and agreed that the Government would look into the issues.
Yong also said that issues such as illegal immigrants and cooking oil subsidies were not new but Barisan had not been doing anything to resolve them.
Citing the example of the Cooking Oil Subsidy Scheme, he said it was not fair for the Government to force Sabah oil palm growers to bear the subsidies since June 2007, when cooking oil is consumed by the whole country.
“Sabah planters make up two-thirds of the (total) number in the country so basically they are paying two-thirds of the subsidies.
“We have raised this subject but the Government said they will look into it, and they have been looking into the matter for 11 months already,” he said.
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