Datuk Seri Panglima Yong Teck Lee – Sabah Progressive Party president
(This article has appeared in the Daily Express, republished here with permission of the writer.)
By: Datuk Teddy Chin
“YES, this is the elephant in the room,” was how Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) President Datuk Seri Panglima Yong Teck Lee replied when I asked him recently if I could write about his party with a special emphasis on why SAPP is in both GRS (Gabungan Rakyat Sabah) and PN (Perikatan Nasional).
The dictionary defines “Elephant in the Room” as “an obvious major issue or problem that nobody wants to discuss or acknowledge.”
Another way of putting is if an elephant is in the room, obviously everybody can see it but they pretend not to see it.
This was what prompted me to venture to ask the former Chief Minister if he cared to discuss about the “sensitive” issue. To my surprise he said “Yes”.
Let me begin with Yong’s political career and SAPP’s background.
Yong came from a well-known businessman family in Lahad Datu. His father Yong Yun is a household name there. However, the younger Yong grew up and went to school in KK.
After secondary school, he read law in England. He returned to Sabah when he was in his mid-20s. Not long after his return, PBS was formed to fight Berjaya in the 1985 election.
I don’t know how come he ended up as a PBS candidate but he stood in Likas in the election and won, defeating the incumbent Chin Kok Kong of Berjaya.
After the election, he was made Assistant Minister of Local Government and Housing whose Minister was the Giant Killer Datuk Kadoh Agundong.
Yong was only 26 or 27 then, one of the youngest assemblymen.
After the 1986 snap election, Yong became Assistant Finance Minister under Tan Sri Bernard Dompok. A good training ground for him as a future Chief Minister.
Early 1990, there was a party election.
Yong challenged Datuk Chau Tet On for the PBS deputy presidency (Chinese quota) and won.
He was dubbed Giant Killer – an Assistant Minister defeating a DCM.
In the post-1990 State election Cabinet formation, Yong replaced Chau as DCM and was posted to the Industrial Development Ministry.
Meanwhile, his former boss Dompok also got promoted as a DCM and became the Agriculture & Fisheries Minister.
Dompok had earlier defeated Tan Sri Joseph Kurup for the KDM quota of the PBS deputy presidency.
After the formation of the PBS+ coalition government with Usno, Dompok returned to Finance while keeping his DCM title.
All good things must come to an end. Early 1994, there was another snap election called by CM Pairin.
Prior to Nomination Day, there were rumours flying around that Yong could be replaced as PBS candidate in Likas.
There were also rumours that Datuk Tham Nyip Shen would also be replaced in Elopura, Sandakan.
I am not in a position to say whether the rumours were true but obviously it was enough to cause anxiety among Yong and Tham’s supporters.
To cut the long story short, before Nomination Day, Yong flew to Kuala Lumpur and came back a few days later announcing his new party, SAPP or Parti Maju Sabah, just in time for the Nomination.
If my memory does not fail me, SAPP working alongside BN/Umno in the 1994 election, fielded three candidates – Yong in Likas, Tham in Elopura and another lieutenant Datuk Raymond Tan, also a lawyer, in Tanjong Papat, downtown Sandakan. All won.
PBS won the 1994 election narrowly. So narrow that every PBS Assemblyman began to wonder who would be the first one to “jump”, meaning cross over to BN/Umno.
PBS got only 25 seats out of 48, exactly the same number as in 1985. As a result, there were a lot of rumours and speculations. With such a slim majority, it was only a matter of time that the PBS government would collapse.
True enough, in less than two months three PBS assemblymen (including one Nominated) jumped. BN/Umno now had the simple majority instead of PBS.
The next natural thing to do for PBS was to call for another snap election. CM Pairin saw the Governor (TYT) and got the Assembly dissolved. He showed the Dissolution Letter at a press conference at Sri Gaya, the CM’s official residence which is within walking distance from the Istana which houses the office of the Governor.
However, within hours the Istana issued a statement saying that the TYT never signed any Letter of Dissolution. A police report was even made.
This put PBS in a fix as no fresh election was forthcoming. That same evening, there was an emergency PBS meeting at Sri Gaya attended by all PBS assemblymen including the remaining five Nominated ones.
Pairin offered to resign as CM as that seemed the logical thing to do then. Rumours had it that the assemblymen were told to look after themselves after the collapse of the PBS government. Meaning do what they want to protect themselves and, more importantly, their communities.
I cannot verity as to what actually took place at Sri Gaya because I was not there. But as the saying goes, the leaves wouldn’t move without any wind.
What lent credence to the rumours or hearsay was that after Pairin’s resignation and Tun Sakaran of Umno taking over, more “frogs” began to jump from PBS. Among them was former DCM Chau who ended up in MCA although there were rumours that LDP was waiting for him. Next day, there was a huge signboard at the Kg Air roundabout saying “Chau Tet On SOLD!”
Within days, senior KDM PBS leaders led by Dompok and Joseph Kurup left for Kuala Lumpur. A couple of days later, they came back with their own new parties – Dompok with PDS (which later became Upko) and Kurup with PBRS.
What was interesting was Kurup’s deputy was Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan. The fact that Pairin’s own brother was also one of the “frogs” lent credence to the rumours stated earlier.
One rumour even had it that another of Pairin’s relatives, Datuk Dr Maxmimus Ongkili, was supposed to have been Dompok’s secretary-general. But all these rumours were denied by both Pairin and Ongkili, saying the Huguan Siou never gave his blessings.
As so much water has flowed under the bridge since 1994, I suppose we will never know the truth. Whatever one side say, the other side will always deny it. But what I know is that the night after the first three “frogs” jumped, all PBS assemblymen led by Dompok signed a petition at Sri Gaya pledging support for Pairin.
Coming back to Yong and SAPP, in the new Umno-led BN Cabinet, as expected Yong was made a DCM cum Local Government and Housing Minister. He remained there until his promotion as CM in 1996.
Tham became Tourism Minister. Another SAPP Assemblyman, Raymond Tan, was made an Assistant Minister (to the CM if I am not mistaken).
Under the BN’s CM Rotation System as promised in the 1994 election campaign, the first CM was Sabah Umno leader Tan Sri Sakaran Dandai.
However, Sakaran became CM for only 9 months as he resigned at the end of 1994 to become the new Governor (TYT), replacing Tun Said Keruak. Sakaran got his Tunship after he became TYT.
Sakaran was replaced as CM by Said Keruak’s son, Salleh who was Finance Minister from April 1994. However, instead of serving two years, Salleh merely completed Sakaran’s remaining term of 2 years.
Yong replaced Salleh in May 1996 and served for two years. While he was CM, Tham was promoted as DCM.
Dompok replaced Yong in 1998. He retained Yong in the Cabinet as Minister in the CM’s office or Minister with Special Functions. Something like that. Tham remained DCM, I think.
Yong is a man of his words. He means what he says. If he says he will help, he will. Not like a few politicians that I know. I started working as a 20-year-old when it was still Usno government. They say one thing in front of you but do something else the minute you leave.
Some time in the late 1990s, I accompanied a friend to see Yong because he doesn’t know him well. My friend’s son was applying for a loan from Sabah Foundation. A few weeks later, my friend’s son did not get a loan. He got a scholarship.
That, Ladies and Gentlemen, is Yong Teck Lee. Mind you, he was no longer the Chief Minister when I went to see him. Just an ordinary Minister. He won my respect from then on.
In the 1999 State election, SAPP retained its three seats. In 2004, SAPP won all four it contested. In 2008, it won all five it contested. However, in the next three elections of 2013, 2018 and 2020 it won none.
At the Parliamentary level, SAPP won two federal seats in 1995, 1999, 2005, and 2008. After that, it won no more MP seats, just like the State seats.
So does that mean that it’s the end for SAPP? From my experience as a political observer since Usno time in the early 70s, not necessarily so. No one has a crystal ball.
We cannot say that just because SAPP won no seat in past three elections, both State and Federal, it’s the end of the road for them. As CM Hajiji Noor himself pointed out, politics is dynamic. It’s not static. Anything can happen.
In the 2020 State election, Upko contested a dozen seats and won only one. Everybody said that’s the end of Upko, finish. But who would have thought that in the 2022 MP election, Upko won not one but two federal seats. And one of their MPs is now a Federal Minister while the other is SESB Chairman.
When SAPP didn’t win any State seat in 2020, everybody also said SAPP finished. But who would have thought that its President Yong would be made a Nominated Assemblyman after that?
Although he was just a Nominated Assemblyman, but being the sole Chinese Assemblyman, he was the Sabah Chinese’s representative. He was their voice. That was a time when Sabah did not have a Chinese Assistant Minister, let alone a Minister.
So don’t underestimate his role in the State Government. Apart from being the Chinese’s voice in the Assembly, he had direct access to the Chief Minister should the Chinese community have any problem.
Granted, we now have 2 Chinese Ministers in the State Cabinet, but that does not mean that Yong is no longer useful. He is, after all, the leader of a party which is an original member of the State’s ruling coalition, GRS.
SAPP has been with GRS since Day One although it did not win any seat in 2020. The Chinese say even if there is no honour or achievement, at least there is effort lah.
The fact that DAP and PKR are now in the State Government does not mean there is no need for SAPP anymore. That is Hajiji’s style. The Hajiji that I know is not like that.
To illustrate my point, after calls were made for SAPP to choose only one – GRS or PN – SAPP Deputy President Datuk Richard Yong was made a Deputy Speaker of the State Assembly some more. A position equivalent to an Assistant Minister in terms of protocol.
While another SAPP Deputy President, Datuk Edward Dagul is the Chairman of government majority-owned Shangrila Tanjung Aru Resort, which like many Sabah treasures was almost sold off entirely to Robert Kuok by a former Chief Minister.
OK now we come to the highlight of my article. What is the wisdom of SAPP being in both GRS and PN?
Yong explained to me, at length, that to understand that we have to go back to history. The term GRS was first coined by former PM Muhyiddin in his address prior to the Nominations for the State seats under Tuaran.
Amont those listening to the PM was Hajiji, the present CM. At that time, Hajiji was Sabah Chairman of PPBM (Bersatu) led by Muhyiddin at the federal level.
Hajiji is now President of PGRS after leaving Bersatu. Hajiji relaunched PGRS last year after taking it over from its earlier leadership.
“So you see, GRS was a term coined by then PM Muhyiddin to refer to all parties opposed to Warisan and PH to face the election at that time.
“So the question of joining it and leaving it does not arise,” according to him.
Asked why SAPP didn’t leave PN together with Star after Anwar became PM under the Unity Government end of 2022, Yong explained that SAPP did not want to be seen as Opportunist.
“We don’t want people to say that we are leaving PN just because it lost power. We in SAPP have our own political philosophy. We are not the follow-the-herd type.
“Had we left PN at that time, sure people will say that we are opportunists.
“If we were opportunists, we would not have left BN in 2008 when it was still in power. And BN was still the government then, mind you.
“PN is now in the opposition. So how can one say that we are opportunists,” he asked.
Yong said he understands that many people are accusing SAPP of being opportunists by being in both GRS and PN.
The GRS Secretary-General and PGRS deputy president said a few months ago that it was his personal opinion that SAPP should choose only one and not “main dua kolam”. The Chinese say “Having one leg in each boat”.
However, Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun made it clear that he was speaking in his personal capacity. He was answering reporters’ question, by the way.
The popular misconception is that SAPP is playing it safe, so that whoever wins the next MP election the party will be safe.
“As I was saying if that is the case, we wouldn’t have left BN in 2008 when it was still in power.
“We had two MPs then. We could have used it as a bargaining chip as BN was weak then after losing its 2/3 majority in the 2008 election.
“But we have our own principle. We left BN and never went back, unlike some people. We were in the opposition for more than 10 years and we survived.
“We teamed up with Bersatu/PBS/Star then in order to topple Warisan. BN/Umno also helped in 2020 but we never returned to BN. That is our principle,” he explained.
On calls to SAPP to choose only one, Yong said the party cannot be easily cowed or bullied.
“A leader of a PH-friendly party but who is opposition in Sabah brought this up at our PH meeting in KL chaired by PM Anwar some time ago. In front of Anwar, he asked what’s the wisdom of SAPP being in both PH and PN? In other words, he was trying to provoke the PM.
“But, to his surprise, Anwar said Sabah politics is unique so leave SAPP alone. After that, nobody dared to bring up the subject anymore.
“This is Anwar. No wonder the Agong appointed him PM.”
“Similarly, this is Hajiji. No wonder he was chosen as CM by the Governor,” he concluded.
After the 2008 nationwide election when BN lost its two-thirds majority in Parliament for the first time since 1969, SAPP made the shocking decision to quit BN, taking everybody including the CM by surprise.
Yong announced this sudden decision at a press conference at the old SAPP office in Luyang. Reporters on duty had a field day.
But the decision came with a price. Not all party leaders agreed with the move. One of them was Datuk Raymond Tan who was a Minister representing SAPP in the State Cabinet, I think.
The SAPP press conference was held in the morning. Tan held his in the afternoon. After saying that he was staying put in BN, he became emotional. With tears in his eyes, he said he hoped “they” wouldn’t do anything to Yong.
What did he mean by that? You have to ask him. Tan later got involved with Parti Gerakan and continued to be a Minister.
Another trusted lieutenant of Yong, Datuk Tham also eventually distanced himself from SAPP, I think. But I am not sure if he ever made any statement regarding the matter or leave SAPP officially.
This is politics. You only know who is loyal to you at the crucial time.
Prior to the 2020 State election, I think, SAPP lost a few more leaders who disagreed with certain party policies. I may be wrong but I think they included former Luyang Assemblywoman and former Assistant Finance Minister Datuk Melanie Chia. If I am not mistaken, later Melanie stood as an Independent candidate but lost. I think former Tg Aru MP Datuk Joseph Voon also left.
“At least now the leaders left behind are solid and genuine to fight for the party’s struggles,” said an observer.
Yong as party president is now solidly assisted by three deputies, one each representing the major communities of Sabah – KDM, Chinese and Muslim Bumiputra.
They are Richard Yong, Edward Dagul and Japril Suhaimin. Richard also acts as secretary-general while Japril as treasurer-general. Japiril is an activist in Kundasang and he played a crucial role when SAPP and Star organised a Sabah Day celebration a few years ago in Kundasang.
Talking about Sabah Day, on August 31 the State will celebrate it officially for the first time in Kota Kinabalu. Although they did it in Tambunan last year but this is the first celebrate after it was officially gazetted.
Yong Teck Lee described it as a culmination of a 12-year struggle by the party. He was referring to the first unofficial Sabah Day held at Taman Chong Thain Vun beside the old High Court building in Kota Kinabalu in 2012.
“It is very satisfying seeing our efforts come to fruition after 12 years. For that, we have to thank our Chief Minister for making it possible. Also thank you to Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan for his cooperation all these years,” Yong said.
Dr Jeffery was behind last year’s event at Tambunan which was also attended by Hajiji who said then that it was better late than never. Sabah Maju Jaya.
PN has also made it known that it is unhappy with SAPP sharing both the GRS and PN beds. Its Sabah head Datuk Dr Ronald Kiandee recently told Yong to make up his mind which bed he prefers
Editor: The views expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of the Daily Express and talantang.com
