The Sabah Progressive Party (Sapp) has decided to pull out of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition to become an independent party.
The party’s supreme council, which met this afternoon, has opted to be an opposition party but will not join Pakatan Rakyat for now.
An upset Sapp deputy president Raymond Tan, who walked out of the council meeting, said he would resign as Sabah deputy chief minister and state minister for infrastructure development.
The party has two parliamentarians and four state assemblypersons.
The two MPs are Eric Enchin Majimbun (Sepanggar) and Dr Chua Soon Bui (Tawau), while the state representatives are Tan (Tanjong Papat), assistant state finance minister Melanie Chia (Luyang), Au Kam Wah (Elopura) and Liew Teck Chan (Likas).
According to Tan, he has yet to decide on whether he would quit the party, but said that Youth chief Au - who did not attend the meeting - has already resigned.
Party leader Yong Teck Lee made the widely expected announcement at a packed press conference at 4.30pm after the supreme council meeting.
“The BN has lost its moral authority to rule. Numerical majority in Parliament means little if the people no longer respect you,” he said.
“Sapp members who hold political appointments in the executive branch of government shall relinquish their posts by giving the due notice under the constitution and relevant rules and regulations, starting at the cabinet level.”
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