Shoot messenger ignore the message..The BN Way??

It was interesting how the BN and its cronies (including the 'government-linked-media[GLM] reacted to the position taken by SAPP. The message was ignored - and mud was slung at the messenger...

One NST report headline read 'He does not have support of own party'. - is he not the President...

Another headline read "Act of 'uncouth, irresponsible man', "A maverick politician" , blah...blah.

It was an attempt to be-little the impact of the thunderous slap given by SAPP to the current PM and his government.

Yong's past crimes were also highlighted -- oh yes, he was charged for illegal assembly, and after he pleaded guilty...he became Chief Minister.

He was allegedly charged of possession of dangerous weapons.

He lost his seat because the "....Election Court ruled that the electoral roll in the March 1999 elections was tainted with illegal voters.... also ruled that Yong's agents contravened the Election Offences Act by using billboards to smear a rival candidate...."

Come on...come on - we are here not to pass moral judgment on the this Yong character - and the PM and the BN must really look at the good reasons as to why they did what they did .

I was amused that "Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said described Yong and his party's two MPs as ingrates. ..."( see NST,"Act of 'uncouth, irresponsible man' , 19/6/2008). After all, was this not the same man who stood so clearly against the Prime Minister, the head of Barisan Nasional, the head of UMNO. Did he not stand firm against all the other BN ADUNs....
(ingrate - a person who shows no gratitude thankless wretch, ungrateful person unwelcome person, persona non grata - a person who for some reason is not wanted or welcome - definition found in an online Dictionary)

Maverick means '...being independent in thought and action or exhibiting such independence: maverick politicians; a maverick decision...' That is good, is it not - after all surely we do not want our MPs, ADUNs, and party leaders to be mere 'followers' of the PM and/or the powerful UMNO or the mighty BN.

Ah yes..but being a maverick is not permitted within the BN - remember Shahrir Abdul Samad, SK Devamany, mmm they were really blasted and taken to task for for their maverick-ness.

I believe there really is a serious need for a campaign for freedom of expression within the BN and its component parties.

BN has a meeting, and a member is not called for that meeting. It was SAPP .... now surely, it will not be right. Wonder whether it will be OK if the BN had a meeting and UMNO was not called to that meeting.... Wonder whether any decision made in such a meeting would even be valid... It could not have been a BN meeting -- but was only a meeting of some of the component parties.

Heard that more likely than not, there have been similar BN meeting -- where some of the component parties could have met...

Anyway, does the BN have some sort of constitution, membership approval removal mechanisms procedures.... (Could we all get it from the Registrar of Societies...?)

I believe that small SAPP has had the guts to come out and make a clear pronouncement of its position..., and rather than trying to throw mud on the President - it may be best if the PM and the BN government take heed to what they feel and said. In a land like Malaysia, we can say what one said is indicative of maybe what a 100 or 100,000 more feel, who may lack the guts to come out and openly say it....

In fact, a secret ballot amongst all the members of BN component party members as to whether they still have confidence in the PM and this government may sting reveal results similar to what SAPP has openly stated...

We all know how the rest of Malaysia feels...

All members of Parliament...and wakil rakyats must learn from the courage demonstrated by SAPP -- Oh yes, this also goes for all you Pakatan Rakyat MPs and ADUNs.

At the end of the day, remember that you serve the PEOPLE first...not the Party or the Coalition...

It is no use staying silent in the face of injustice ....and then many years later come out saying that "I did protest...I did protest"... it is no use.

All you MPs of the BN today, your silence indicate that you are OK with the price hikes, you are OK with the use of water cannons, tear gas, arrest, detention of persons who just want to express themselves, etc.. The only way that we will know different is when you do come out and express that difference.

There will be attempts to force SAPP to withdraw their expressed position --- maybe also there may be attempts to support some anti-Yong factions within SAPP to try get rid of this President and all its supporters so that SAPP will once again be led by pro- Abdullah pro-BN kind of personalities....mmm. We shall see..we shall see...

Newspapers too must really learn to be independent -- There should have been at least some detailed reports looking into the reasons why SAPP did what they did...These was all clearly stated in the statement they issued, part of which I quote again..

"...us to recover our autonomy, get 20% oil royalties and return of Labuan would be lost.

Unfair federal laws, excessive taxes and structural imbalances in the economy will remain entrenched.

Sabah will remain the poorest state subservient to the central leadership.

Labuan bridge, poverty eradication and rural development will remain elusive.

Racial politics and wasteful monopolies will continue as usual.

The illegal immigrant problems will reach boiling point.

Grown up street kids, illicit drugs and crimes will continue to strike fear among the people.

Police and law enforcement will remain understaffed and under-resourced.

In other words, Sabah will lose out badly again. We will not get this window of opportunity for another 50 years, if ever again. In fact, we have now become suspicious of their delaying tactics.....

The people are also suffering from high inflation resulting from the recent astronomical and unexpected fuel price hikes which was contrary to a BN election promise. Fuel prices have brought about stagnation in the business sector.

Unemployment and social problems will rise.

But the government's responses seem ad-hoc, flip-flop and lacking in foresight with a fire fighting style.

This is why we have to START INSULATING ourselves from the external shocks such as oil prices and food crisis. The food and energy crises will last a few years. The effects will be around for many more years. This is worse than the financial crisis of 1997-98 from which Malaysia took five years to sufficiently recover....

With our political move today, SAPP hereby initiates the political process to claim 20% in oil royalties which is after all the natural resource of Sabah. With that extra billions, we can invest in agriculture, education, capacity-building and achieve self-sufficiency in many things. We can therefore insulate ourselves from the external shocks or economic tsunami...."

Save for Malaysiakini (and maybe some other alternative media), I did not come across any mainstream media talking about the reasons why SAPP did what it did...

Also interesting in Malaysiakini, is that report entitled "Sapp's expulsion will 'invite serious repercussion', where an UMNO member, interestingly is reported as saying that "...the stand taken by Sapp is “consistent with the concerns of Sabahans - oil royalty, illegal immigrants and the high inflation rate which can potentially increase the poverty level in Sabah”.

So, is SAPP really alone....or is it really a spokesperson for majority of the wakil rakyat of Sabah...

Was that a factor that resulted in the BN not taking steps towards the expulsion of SAPP from the BN...