Hard to reach consensus among opposition in Sabah – Lim

KOTA KINABALU: DAP national adviser Lim Kit Siang said that reaching a consensus of among the opposition in the peninsula to have a ‘one-to-one’ fight against the Barisan Nasional (BN) in the general election is not a problem but it could be hard in Sabah and Sarawak.
Lim reiterated that the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) favours a ‘one-to-one’ fight against BN, but whether this can be achieved will largely depend on its negotiation with other opposition parties.
He was speaking at the launch of the state-wide public hearing on BN’s Malaysia Day slogan “Janji Ditepati” (Promises Fulfilled), at the Star City Convention Hall here on Monday.
Lim said the coming general election would be a golden opportunity for the people of Sabah to effect a regime change.
While noting the possibility of the general election would be held in November this year, Pakatan Rakyat is currently intensifying its preparation for the polls, Lim told reporters.
He added that even if the election is not held in November, it has to be next year, citing that Parliament will automatically dissolve on April 27, 2013.
“Whether the Prime Minister has the guts to call for election this November, we will just have to wait and see,” he said.
DAP Sabah chairman cum Sri Tanjung assemblyman Jimmy Wong, who was present, stressed that Pakatan Rakyat in Sabah will only make public its seats allocation after it has reached a decision.
He noted that currently PR Sabah consists of five members namely Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), DAP, PAS, Sabah Reform Movement led by Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Bumburing and Pakatan Angkatan Rakyat spearheaded by Datuk Seri Panglima Lajim Hj Ukin.
He urged those opposition parties which have yet to make a stand, to join PR without any further delay citing the fast-approaching general election.
Earlier, Lim called on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to explain as to why the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants in Sabah has yet to commence its inquiry, despite having been set up close to a month.
He said despite the fact that the RCI’s set-up was approved by the federal cabinet on February 8 this year, yet it took six months to announce the members of the commission.
He was also of the opinion that the establishment of the RCI was largely due to the mounting pressure from two former Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders, Bumburing, the former UPKO deputy president and Lajim, a former Umno Supreme member who left BN in July and pledged their support for the Pakatan Rakyat.
“Had it not been for the step taken by Bumburing and Lajim to leave BN, I’m afraid the RCI would have been aborted. And now, everyone knows for a fact that it has been close to a month after the RCI was officially set up on August 11, the commission has yet to officially commence its inquiry,” he said.
It was reliably learnt that to date the appointed members of the RCI have yet to receive their letters of appointment.
Lim expressed skepticism that the commission could complete its assignment before the coming 13th general election, since it was tasked to complete the inquiry within six months.
He nonetheless pledged that DAP would continue to pursue with the perennial issue of illegal immigrants in Sabah and its related issues.
Touching on the public hearing on “Janji Ditepati”, Lim who is also Ipoh Timur member of parliament, noted the feedback gathered from the respondents clearly reflected that not only the opposition was against the theme, but the people too were not convinced of it.
“That’s why we are holding the public hearing to gather feedback from the people, to verify if the BN government has indeed fulfilled its promises,” he said.
Some 500 people attended the public hearing. Also present were Segambut member of parliament Lim Lip Eng, Kota Kinabalu member of parliament Dr Hiew King Cheu, former Suhakam vice chairman Tan Sri Datuk Simon Sipaun and anti-illegal immigrant activist, Dr Chong Eng Leong.