Kota Kinabalu: Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Deputy President Datuk Raymond Tan does not see why he should tender his resignation from the party, since it is the party that does not want him.
"Why should I tender my resignation?. It is not that I don't want to be with the SAPP. It is the SAPP which does not want me," he said. However, he said if the party required him to send in a resignation letter, he has it ready.
Describing himself as an "independent BN Assemblyman", Tan said he would be meeting Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman on Monday to tender his resignation as State Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Infrastructure Development.
Among those resigned from the Government were Assistant Finance Minister Melanie Chia who is also SAPP wanita chief, Vice President and Likas Assemblyman Datuk Liew Teck Chan who was Deputy Chairman of Sabah Economic Development Corporation (Sedco) as well as those holding the post of councillors and People's Development leaders, among others.
"I will be tendering my resignation from the State Cabinet as a matter of principle considering the position I'm now in following SAPP's decision to pull our from the BN," he said.
Tan said he would be leaving it to Musa to decide on his resignation as the appointment of ministers is the prerogative of the CM.
Tan said he has been unfairly treated by SAPP since registering his objection to the party's decision to move a vote of no-confidence against the Prime Minister at its Supreme Council meeting on June 18.
He cited being removed for no apparent reason as the party's Tanjung Papat Central Liaison Committee and Sandakan zone Chairman.
"After the party made a stand that it had lost confidence in the Prime Minister in June, which I opposed, I was treated like an outsider although I am a senior leader of the party," he said.
Giving another example, he said when he arrived 15 minutes late for the party's Supreme Council meeting on Sept. 17, he had no place to sit as the chair usually reserved for him as Deputy President was occupied by someone else. "My seat and name was not there. I had to ask for a place to sit. I was late before but my chair, file and name tag on the table were always there," he said, adding that it may sound petty but it demonstrated the kind of treatment the party had accorded him.
"You (SAPP President Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee) said you were badly treated by the BN but look at how you have been treating your colleague in the party," he said.
Tan said despite feeling unwanted and his differences with Yong, he remained loyal to the party and was even prepared to suffer the consequences of its confrontational stance towards the BN and Federal leadership.
He said his stand not to tender his resignation was similar to the party's supreme Council decision on Sept. 17 that it was not necessary for it to officially inform the BN of its decision to quit the coalition" as the BN has already abandoned it."
Meanwhile SAPP Vice President Jimmy Wong Chee Khiong and Youth Chief Au Kam Wah have resigned from all party posts.
Both said they could no longer tolerate or subscribe the way in which SAPP is now being run.
"We continue to believe and subscribe in the BN struggle for the betterment of the people of Sabah as we believe that under the BN concept whatever differences could be resolved through discussions," Wong said.
He said what SAPP is doing now went against the grains of the BN concept, beliefs and the principles. Wong, who is political secretary to the Chief Minister and a Charted Accountant, has been a member since the party was formed in 1994.
He stressed that recent motion of no-confidence against the PM did not enjoy the support of all SAPP members. He also said the decision by top BN leadership to issue SAPP a show cause letter and then withholding any decision showed its understanding towards members.
"But it appears these overtures did not appease some segment of the SAPP leadership until it decided to burn the bridge and leave the BN, its struggles and concept."
On the SAPP's eight-point declaration on seeking a better deal for Sabah, he saw no reason to harp on the issue, adding all should be working together to fulfil the mandate given by the people in the March 8 election.
He added the current global economic situation of high fuel price, soaring food prices and other daily expenses and the efforts by the BN Government to address these issues were commendable.
However, success could only be achieved by working together instead of taking advantage of the situation.
Wong said he would get views from the supporters before deciding on the next course of action.
On his position as Datuk Seri Musa Aman's political secretary, Wong said he would leave it to the Chief Minister.
Meanwhile, Au who is Elopura Assemblyman, said he submitted his resignation letter to the SAPP Supreme Council through a friend in Kota Kinabalu at 1pm yesterday (Thursday).
"I am now a free man and am not bound to any party. The time now is for me to go back to Elopura to focus on serving my supporters and the people," he said.
"Since the March 8 elections, our country has been in political turmoil.
Many of our leaders have been distractedÉthey have lost focus on what is more important, which is to bring development," said Au at a press conference in his Sandakan office.
Au, who has also been a SAPP founding member since Feb. 21, 1994, said he had no plans at this moment to join any party. He said he received many offers to join other parties, including the opposition.
On the situation in SAPP, he said, "as a representative of the people, I do not feel I should involve myself in such a situation".
"I decided not to attend the (SAPP) meeting after repeatedly seeing at the Supreme Council meeting that the majority supported his (Yong's) decisions," said Au.
