BN to issue show-cause letter To SAPP

The Barisan Nasional (BN) supreme council meeting Thursday night decided to issue a show-cause letter to Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) following its plan to support a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who is also BN chairman.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said SAPP would be given 30 days to respond, afterwhich the BN supreme council would meet to decide on the next course of action, including the possibility of suspending or expelling the party, according to a Bernama report.

"Because the SAPP's decision is against the BN's spirit and integrity, it is only proper that a show-cause letter be issued to the party. he siad.

The decision will either be in the form of warning, suspension or expulsion or any other form of disciplinary actions, Najib told reporters after the meeting, chaired by Abdullah and lasted more than two hours, at the Menara Dato' Onn here Thursday night.

He said Abdullah was not involved in the discussion and who only returned to chair the meeting after the deliberation and the decision was made.

He also said the decision to issue the show-cause letter was made as the BN wanted to make sure that the principle of natural justice and the rights of reply were adhered to.

Najib rejected the notion that the BN was being lenient in dealing with the issue, saying it was not a matter of being stern or lenient but rather, whether the BN followed the proper procedure.

Asked whether the letter would ultimately result in SAPP being expelled from the coalition, Najib said he did not want to make any speculation.

Meanwhile, SAPP President Datuk Yong Teck Lee said the party would wait for the letter before making any further comments.

SAPP fate may be decided tonight

The Barisan Nasional supreme council' meeting tonight is expected to decide on action to be taken against component Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), which had said it would support a motion of no-confidence against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Barisan secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor said the SAPP issue would definitely be discussed at tonight’s meeting as the Barisan management committee had made its recommendation, according to a Bernama report carried by the Star online.

The supreme council meeting, to be chaired by Abdullah in his capacity as Barisan chairman, is scheduled for 8.30pm at the Menara Datuk Onn of the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) here. Tengku Adnan declined to elaborate on the recommendation of the Barisan management committee but SAPP is expected to show cause.

Sources said the Barisan management committee had recommended SAPP be expelled but added that this would only be resorted to after the rebel party had been issued a show-cause letter.

The SAPP has two Members of Parliament, Datuk Dr Chua Soon Bui (Tawau) and Datuk Eric Enchin Majimbun (Sepanggar).

SAPP president Datuk Yong Teck Lee, when contacted, said the party had not been invited to attend Thursday night’s Barisan supreme council meeting.

“No, we are not invited,” he said in an SMS message to Bernama.

Yong, who is in Kota Kinabalu, said he was waiting to be questioned by the Anti Corruption Agency (ACA).

The ACA has opened an investigation on Yong in connection with graft totalling RM5 million, alleged to have taken place in 1996 when he was Sabah Chief Minister.

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