KOTA KINABALU, Dec 14 — Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) today announced its withdrawal from Perikatan Nasional (PN), after controversy over its decision to sit in two opposing blocs.
SAPP president Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee said the party withdrew from PN last month after its supreme council decided on the move on November 23, The Star reported.
The party is part of the state’s ruling Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition, which sits in the national unity government.
Yong said the party exited PN as it had become clear PN intends to contest in the state polls.
“This contradicts SAPP’s long-standing stand and policy that all 73 state constituencies should only be contested by local Sabah parties.
“This SAPP stand is consistent with the MA63 (Malaysia Agreement 1963) and autonomy for Sabah. We cannot compromise our commitment to ensuring elections for the Sabah State Legislative Assembly remain exclusively under the purview of local parties, free from interference by national parties from peninsular Malaysia,” he said in a statement today.
Yong added that PN’s intention to field candidates from national parties in the Sabah polls directly contradicts SAPP’s fundamental principle.
He said that GRS, which comprises local parties and is led by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, will contest all 73 seats in the upcoming election.
“A key motion we submitted to the GRS supreme council is on Sabah’s autonomy, which means GRS must field candidates in all 73 state constituencies.
“This is important to uphold Sabah’s rights under MA63 and reflects Sabahans’ fervent aspirations for a government that embraces true federalism,” he added.
