TUESDAY-8 JULY 2008- NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION IS OFF

No-confidence motion is off

KUALA LUMPUR:

The Sabah Progressive Party’s (SAPP) threat of no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister is off. Its Vice-President Datuk Dr Chua Soon Bui, who appeared in Parliament for the first time yesterday after having been absent for two weeks, was quoted by STAR Online as saying that the Party did not want to be held responsible as the scapegoat” in the current political climate. “We don’t want the scapegoat under the current political situation and take responsibility if there’s any emergency rule or any outcome that will affect the general public,” she told reporters before meeting with Minister in Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz. Asked if SAPP was still confident of the Prime Minister, Dr Chua, who had been on medical leave and keeping a low profile after receiving death threats over the Party’s plans, said: “(Whatever we said), this is also the opinion of the people and we have taken the stance.” Asked if the Party had since changed its stance, she replied: “We will have to see.” Dr Chua said SAPP was not taking up the no-confidence motion issue at the moment but refused to discount this same 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, referring to the recent spate of allegations and counter claims between members of the Opposition and the Government. Dr Chua also stressed that SAPP had never discussed leaving the coalition and that she had never heard of such a thing. Unlike her colleague Eric Majimbun (BN-Sepanggar) who kept a low profile after shJwing up in Parliament for the first time last week, Pr Chua was instantly mobbed by reporters after being spotted entering the MPs’ lounge around 2.15pm. She was accompanied by Sabah State Assembly’s former Deputy Speaker Datuk Francis Yap. Pressed on her attendance, Dr Chua said it was her first day in Parliament and that she still had to take some “precautions” on the threats against her. “I will be here until next week. Under the circumstances, it was normal to receive threats but it hasn’t come to the stage where I will need o have bodyguards,” she said, adding that she also had some matters to bring up with both Nazri and Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar AminMulia. “I need to sort out some procedures with the Minister and the Speaker,” she said, adding that she had also been seeking treatment for her back problem. When approached, Nazri said Dr Chua had asked him if both her and Eric’s absence during the voting of the Government 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. She also came to inform me about her medical leave and gave assurance that they are still BN MPs. “It’s not something we take action against her for. The most important thing was that Barisan has won the vote,” he said, adding that they however did not discuss SAPP’s plan for a no-confidence vote.