STAR to contest only 32 DUN seats, says deputy

By Awang Ahmad Sah Awang Sahari
KOTA KINABALU: I am responding to the piece put up by the deputy president of Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), Amde Sidek, in FreeMalaysiaToday days ago on issues related to SAPP - Star relations vis-a-vis negotiations for seats at the coming general election.

Although we all subscribe to one communal politics through the so-called multi racial politics, all political parties must be realistic on the issue of which party is more acceptable by the grassroots.

All opposition parties must be sincere if they are serious for a one to one fight against the Barisan Nasional. You can't go to a negotiating table and say you want 40 (out of 60) seats which by itself doesn't help much to achieve a one to one fight.

‘Govt must subsidise transport to Sabah’

The federal government must provide proof that
freight charges have no impact on the price of
consumer goods in Sabah.

By Azman Habu of FMT

TAWAU: The federal government must subsidise trans-shipment of goods to Sabah in order to standardise the prices of consumer goods in the state with that in Peninsular Malaysia.

Tawau MP Chua Soon Bui said talks have been going on for years with no solution in sight while consumers have been forced to cough up more money for goods that are cheaper in the peninsula.

“If the federal government can afford to subsidise the toll charges on federal highways for billions of ringgits, there’s no reason why the same cannot be done for transport to Sabah as a result of the cabotage policy,” she said over the weekend.

Salleh: No need for Musa to quit

Sabah Umno is firmly behind Chief Minister Musa Aman
who is facing 'whispers' within Barisan Nasional to
step down over money-laundering allegations.

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Umno has brushed off calls for Chief Minister Musa Aman to step down from his post while investigations continue into undeclared money worth hundreds of millions of ringgit in bank accounts said to be linked to him.

Musa’s deputy chief in Sabah Umno, Salleh Said Keruak, when contacted, said: “Musa is doing a good job for Sabah and there are leaders who are power-crazy and jealous of his achievement.”

Salleh, who is also the Sabah State Legislative Assembly Speaker, and a former chief minister himself, was speaking after outspoken local politician, Daniel John Jambun, of the State Reform Party (STAR), called on Musa to step down as he is embroiled in what appears to be an international banking scandal that has caught the attention of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.

Sabah MPs to quit BN this week?

Will Upko's Wilfred Bumburing and Umno's Lajim Ukin
announce their exit from their respective
parties on July 15?

By Joseph Bingkasan of FMT

KOTA KINABALU: National coalition MPs Wilfred Bumburing and Lajim Ukin are expected to announce their pullout from their respective parties during gatherings in Tuaran and Beaufort, respectively on June 15.

PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim will be attending both functions where the two are expected to become “independent” MPs.

Bumburing who is Tuaran MP will make his much awaited announcement in Tuaran in the morning while in the afternoon Beaufort MP Lajim is to formalise his departure from the BN at his hometown in Beaufort.

Although both leaders would be declaring that they are leaving the government coalition parties in the presence of Anwar, they are not expected to join either PKR or other opposition Pakatan Rakyat component members.

STAR to resurrect controversial provision

The practice of 'nominating' representatives to the
Sabah State Legislative Assembly was discontinued
when Umno-led Barisan Nasional took over in 1994.

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Chapter of the State Reform Party (STAR) will appoint six nominated members to the State Legislative Assembly if the party led by Jeffrey Kitingan secures enough seats to topple the Barisan Nasional (BN) government in the coming general election.

This nominated members will be in addition to the 60 elected state lawmakers. Nomination of unelected members to the assembly is provided for in the state constitution but was dispensed with when Umno-BN came into power.

“We (a Star government) need professional and credible non-governmental organisation personalities in the assembly, “ STAR deputy chairman Daniel John Jambun told FMT in Kota Kinabalu yesterday.