SAPP 'Safe', for now

The Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) is safe, at least for now.

The supreme council of Malaysia's ruling coalition, the National Front or BN, at its meeting in Kuala Lumpur today deferred any decision on SAPP's fate.

BN chairman and Prime Minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said after the meeting that the council needed more time to study in detail the reply given by SAPP. BN had last month given the east Malaysian party 30 days to show cause why disciplinary action should not be taken against it for threatening to table a motion of no-confidence on Abdullah as PM.

Before the meeting, speculations were rife that SAPP would be sacked or at least suspended from the coalition, if anything at least as a deterrent for other component parties. Political observers quickly linked the no-decision by BN to the August 26 by-election in Permatang Pauh where former Deputy Premier Anwar Ibrahim will be trying a comeback to parliament.

In an immediate reaction in Kota Kinabalu, SAPP president Yong Teck Lee said his party was disappointed with the "no decision" made by BN on the party's position "in view of the Permatang Pauh by-election."

"The coalition has put political interest above that of the people of Sabah.

"We are totally disappointed that the Barisan leadership has again put off a key decision affecting Sabah just in order for them to finish a by-election campaign first," he said in a statement.

Yong said that SAPP's 3-paragraph reply to the Barisan show cause letter on July 29 was simple and clear because it was a "mere reiteration of SAPP's loss of confidence in the Prime Minister."

"What is so complicated that the BN needs to study in detail?," he asked.

SAPP deputy president Raymond Tan, who is against the no confidence against the Prime Minister, declined to comment on the "no decision" saying that he wanted to see what clarification BN was looking at.

My Say: What an anti-climax, after all.