Penang Watch

Star's misleading headline rebuked by SAPP

Anyone who look at the Star headline can guess at where Star stands in misreporting the position of SAPP on the `no confidence' motion of SAPP. The content of the report speak for itself-the motion is simply suspended-not `off' as put in bold print in STAR headline. What an unprofessional way to score points for the big boss of Star! Anyway STAR didn't report that after the report came out the unhappy SAPP spokeperson  rebuked the Star report and said angrily `Don't put words into my mouth!'

Tuesday July 8, 2008
SAPP not taking up no-faith move for now
By SIM LEOI LEOI

KUALA LUMPUR: The no-confidence move by the Sabah Progressive Party against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is off – at least for now.

Party vice-president Datuk Dr Chua Soon Bui said the SAPP did not want to be held responsible for the current political climate.
SAPP vice-president Datuk Dr Chua Soon Bui looking relaxed while waiting to meet Datuk Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz at Parliament House yesterday. She has been on medical leave since last month. — NORAFIFI EHSAN / The Star

“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 before meeting Minister in Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz at Parliament House yesterday.

Dr Chua, who is Tawau MP, is one of two SAPP MPs.

The other is Eric Majimbun who is Sepanggar MP.

Dr Chua has been missing from the House since party president Datuk Yong Teck Lee announced last month that the SAPP had lost confidence in Abdullah and would either move or support a vote of no-confidence against him.

She said the party was not taking up the no-confidence motion issue at the moment but refused to discount the 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.

Asked if the SAPP was now declaring its confidence in the Prime Minister, Dr Chua, replied:

“This is also the opinion of the people and we have taken the stance.”

On whether the party was changing its stance, she said: “We will have to see.”

Dr Chua stressed that the SAPP never talked about leaving the coalition and that she had never heard of such a thing being said.

“The content of our reply to the show-cause letter from the Barisan is still being worked out,” she said.

“The party has until July 29 to reply,” she said, referring to the letter from the coalition which asked the party to give reasons why action should not be taken against it for making the no-confidence statement.

Dr Chua said that she had been on medical leave and was keeping a low profile after receiving death threats over the party’s plans.

She said she had been seeking treatment for her back problem.

She was instantly mobbed by reporters after being spotted entering the MPs’ lounge around 2.15pm yesterday.

Accompanying her was former Sabah State Assembly Deputy Speaker Datuk Francis Yap.

When asked by reporters, she confirmed that it was her first appearance in Parliament after the incident and she still had to take some “precautions” because of the threats against her.

“I will be here until next week.

“Under the circumstances, it was normal to receive threats. It has not come to the stage where I will need to have bodyguards.”

When approached, Nazri said Dr Chua had asked him if both her and Majimbun's absence during the voting of the Government's 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,” said Nazri.

“She also came to inform me of her medical leave and gave assurance that they were still Barisan MPs.

“The SAPP’s plan for a no-confidence vote was, however, not discussed,” he said.