Kah Kiat : PM has hurt Chinese feeling

LDP’s Chong Kah Kiat is right. He should go one step further- pull  out from the arrogant and racist Barisan Nasional Coalition NOW! 章家傑： 言論得罪華人　首相傷害我的尊嚴 Orientaldaily – Monday, April 16, 2007

（吉隆坡15日訊）為「原則」辭官的沙巴州前副首席部長 丹斯里章家傑開腔表示，首相拿督斯里阿都拉發表其呈辭 「不會對沙巴造成損失」的言論，已傷害了他的尊嚴。 章家傑說：「這不是爭吵的事情（自民黨對首相言論不滿） …這是國陣的問題，首相得罪了華人及沙巴人…傷害我的尊嚴。」 章家傑是沙巴州，代表華人的副首席部長，較早前在首長輪任制下， 他更曾出任沙州第三任華裔首席部長，也是沙巴州資深的華裔政治人物。 他接受《東方日報》訪問時指出：「這不只是自民黨（不滿）， 而是沙巴州的人民（不滿）…他（首相）這樣講華人的領袖， 他在沙巴州人民尤其是沙巴華人的印象，將有著負面影響。」 章家傑直言，首相「得罪」了全國華人及沙巴人。「我是微不 足道的，但我有我的尊嚴。」 他也表示，對於一位在國陣30餘年的領袖而言，首相的這番談話 ，聽在全國人民的耳中，將對首相存有負面印象。 「這會影響他的形象，對他並非好事。」 章家傑表示，他在1999年，特從聯邦首相署部長，返回沙巴州 競選，也曾在1991年，協助國陣在沙巴州立足。 當詢及他在辭官時所指的「原則」是甚麼時，他依然拒絕透露 ，僅表示：「現在還不是時候，我要講的時候自然會講。」 至於自民黨與國陣的關係，會否造成最后的決裂，章家傑說： 「我們有甚麼資格去『鬧』，我們是很小的政黨，我們是不重要的。」 章家傑在辭去沙州首席部長一職時，首相拿督斯里阿都拉曾指出：「我不 認為這是沙巴的損失，我的意思是，有關職位騰空了，並不是一項損失。 但是，我們想向他說謝謝，感謝他對沙巴州政府的貢獻。」 自民黨對於首相兼國陣主席阿都拉的這番言論，深感不滿，該黨主席 拿督劉偉強更直指，首相的談話，對自民黨乃至全沙巴人民都是嚴重的侮辱。 他更指出：「對一名過去32年獻身於落實國陣的宏願與宣言的人（章家傑）， 這句『不會造成損失』，無疑是極大的侮蔑。」 無論如何，本報較后聯絡自民黨秘書長張志剛，惟后者表示目前自民黨 暫不再發表任何言論。 章家傑於本月13日突然宣佈辭去州內閣副首長和旅遊部長職位，震驚沙巴 政壇，更有傳言指他與首長拿督斯里慕沙阿曼失和。 章家傑強調，他的辭職是因為他是一位堅持「原則」的人，甚至他的呈辭 導致沙巴自由民主黨在州內閣裡失去唯一的代表，也在所不惜。他說： 「失去州內閣唯一代表，那也不要緊，最重要的是，『原則』保持不變。 無論如何，章家傑仍保留其丹絨加布（古達）州議席的職位。 No rush to fill DCM vacancy, says Musa Apr 14, 07 7:22pm malaysiakini  There is ‘no rush’ to fill the post of deputy chief minister vacated by the resignation of Chong Kah Kiat, said Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman.“When the time is ripe, we will think about it,” Musa told reporters upon arrival from abroad at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport today.Musa also said Chong, who was also the state’s tourism, culture and environment minister, had a “capable and experienced assistant minister” in the person of Karim Bujang who could carry out the duties of the minister until an acting minister was appointed.“It (the appointment of Chong’s replacement) won’t take long. Give me a bit more time,” he said in a Bernama report. Musa was speaking after Chong’s shocked resignation yesterday. Both were said to have had long-standing differences. Project proposals turned down  Musa claimed today, however, that he was wrongly reported to have said it was time that Chong step down, saying he said it was “maybe he (Chong) felt that it was time for him to step down”. The final straw that triggered the resignation is said to have been the rejection of Chong’s proposal to build a huge statue of the Goddess of Mercy in Kudat as a tourist attraction. The rejection, said sources, was allegedly accompanied by Chong being told that Umno Sabah, headed by Musa, could ignore him because the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) that Chong heads is a mere ‘mosquito party’. It was the most recent rejection of project proposals by Musa, who is also state finance minister. Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi yesterday said he did not think Chong’s resignation was a loss and the Sabah government would not be weakened by this. He said Chong did not give any reason for the resignation and he had heard about it from Musa.