KOTA KINABALU: Sabah DAP chief Datuk Stephen Wong is not in favour of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's move to welcome seven former Umno MPs into Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia.
Wong said he personally did not favour the Prime Minister's move to accept these former Umno MPs, but would leave it to the top leadership to comment further or decide their next course of action.
"For me personally, I think the move makes us feel bad," he said after a Chinese New Year event here on Thursday (Feb 14).
He was told that a presidential meeting to discuss on the matter and other issues had started since Wednesday (Feb 13).
Selangor DAP secretary and Sungai Pelek assemblyman Ronnie Liu had said that Dr Mahathir had gone back on his word.
"A while back, I wrote about how prior to the 14th General Election, Dr Mahathir told a group of activists and NGOs that he would not accept Umno frogs. I know because I was there," Liu said in a press statement on Wednesday (Feb 13).
On Feb 12, Dr Mahathir handed over Bersatu membership cards to seven MPs who had defected from Umno.
The seven are Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin (Larut), Datuk Seri Ikmal Hisham Abdul Aziz (Tanah Merah), Datuk Dr Latiff Ahmad (Mersing), Datuk Rosol Wahid (Hulu Terengganu), Datuk Mohd Fasiah Mohd Fakeh (Sabak Bernam), Datuk Shahbudin Yahya (Tasik Gelugor) and Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin (Masjid Tanah).
On Bersatu's latest statement that whether or not the party spreads its wings to Sabah was up to nobody but themselves, Wong said he had nothing much to say about that.
"However, like I have said earlier, I do not agree with Bersatu coming to Sabah as our Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal is doing a good job in leading the state," he said.
"We are on the right track, but if Bersatu really wants to come in, we, of course, can't do anything, can we?" he said.
Wong said they would, however, stand firm behind Mohd Shafie and help him bring about the planned changes and developments for the people of Sabah.
On matters concerning the announced RM3.8mil funds for a total of 38 Sabah assemblymen to help the needy in times of emergencies, he said it was a practice that had been around since 2006.
"The practice to have these funds kept in the assemblymen's personal accounts has been around but maybe not publicised," he said.
Wong said as the new government, they were just making it known to the public, and it was not necessary for opposition party SAPP to question it.
"SAPP also knows it and they had people in the government as well back then, so why are they making noise now?" he said.
He said these funds, amounting RM100,000 for each representative, would be monitored and audited on a scheduled basis.
Wong also said with such funds at hand, assemblymen would be able to immediately assist people who need them, be it for treatment fees or chronic illness or to help disaster victims among others.
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