Liputan SAPP (7&8 Julai 2008)

The Star : Monday July 7, 2008 MYT 6:28:25 PM

SAPP’s withdraws no-confidence motion threat

By SIM LEOI LEOI

KUALA LUMPUR: The Sabah Progressive Party's (SAPP) threat of no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister is off.

Its vice-president Datuk Dr Chua Soon Bui, who appeared in Parliament for the first time on Monday after having been absent for two weeks, said the party did not want to be held responsible as the "scapegoat" in the current political climate.

"We don't want to be made the scapegoat under the current political situation and take responsibility if there's any emergency rule or any outcome that will affect the general public," she told reporters before meeting with Minister in Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz.

Asked if SAPP was still confident of the Prime Minister, Dr Chua, who had been on medical leave and keeping a low profile after receiving death threats over the party's plans, said:

"(Whatever we said), this is also the opinion of the people and we have taken the stance."

Asked if the party had since changed its stance, she replied: “We will have to see."

Dr Chua said the party was not taking up the no-confidence motion issue at the moment but refused to discount this same possibility in the future.

"It depends on the political scenario. Can you tell me what is going to happen next week with all the things which are coming out?" she said, referring to the recent spate of allegations and counter claims between members of the Opposition and the Government.

Dr Chua also stressed that SAPP had never discussed leaving the coalition and that she had never heard of such a thing.

Unlike her colleague Eric Majimbun (BN - Sepanggar) who kept a low profile after showing up in Parliament for the first time last week, Dr Chua was instantly mobbed by reporters after being spotted entering the MPs' lounge around 2.15pm.

She was accompanied by Sabah state assembly’s former deputy Speaker Datuk Francis Yap. Pressed on her attendance, Dr Chua said it was her first day in Parliament and that she still had to take some "precautions" on the threats against her.

"I will be here until next week. Under the circumstances, it was normal to receive threats but it hasn't come to the stage where I will need to have bodyguards," she said, adding that she also had some matters to bring up with both Nazri and Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia.

"I need to sort out some procedures with the minister and the Speaker," she said, adding that she had also been seeking treatment for her back problem.

When approached, Nazri said Dr Chua had asked him if both her and Eric's absence during the voting of the Government motion on the price increase had affected their position in Barisan.

"I told her no. Both the SAPP MPs were not the only ones absent as there were nine others who were also not present then. She also came to inform me about her medical leave and give assurance that they are still BN MPs.

"It's not something we take action against her for. The most important thing was that Barisan has won the vote," he said, adding that they however did not discuss SAPP's plan for a no-confidence vote.

The Star ; Tuesday July 8, 2008 MYT 3:22:09 PM

No-confidence issue is not over, says SAPP

By LEE YUK PENG

KUALA LUMPUR: Sabah Progressive Party’s (SAPP) deputy president Datuk Eric E. Majimbun (BN - Sepanggar) does not rule out the possibility of filing a vote of no confidence against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in future.

The party may do so at other times when the political scenario and ground sentiment deem suitable for such action.

At the moment, Eric said it was not suitable to do so.

"I (would) never say it is off," said Eric when asked by reporters at the Parliament Lobby on Tuesday.

Asked whether the party had sent the motion to the Speaker, Eric said "not yet" but the party may do so “ when the time comes.”

Eric, however, thanked the Government for paying more attention to Sabah now.

Asked whether he would leave Barisan Nasional to join the Opposition, Eric said: “We never say we are out of Barisan.

“We are still in the SAPP,” he said.

Eric also said the party was in the midst of preparing its reply to the show-cause letter issued by Barisan.

Eric also said the threat issue was over and he was not worried about that.

“I am safe in Malaysia, this is our country,” he said.

Datuk Dr Chua Soon Bui (BN - Tawau), the other MP from SAPP, said the party would put the no-confidence vote on hold.

On Monday, Dr Chua, the other MP from SAPP, said the no-confidence move by the party against Prime Minister was off - at least for now.

Dr Chua, who is also the vice-president, said SAPP did not want to be held responsible for the current political climate.

“We do not want to be made the scapegoat. We will have to take responsibility if there is emergency rule or any outcome that will affect the general public,” she told reporters on Monday.