Kota Kinabalu: Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) President Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee (pic) has called on younger members to take over party leadership, saying the party’s strength lies in experience rather than political or financial power.
“Political power and money power are temporary, but our Brain Power is permanent,” said Yong at the SAPP branches’ joint Annual General Meeting under six West Coast Constituency Liaison Committees (CLCs).
He described brain power as the knowledge and experience built up over the party’s 32-year history.
Yong said generational succession does not mean sidelining veteran leaders, adding that senior members would continue mentoring younger ones.
He agreed with Kapayan CLC Chairman Datuk Chong Pit Fah that physical energy declines with age, making it necessary to prepare younger members for leadership.
Yong said the SAPP has focused on cadre training and parliamentary simulation exercises under veteran adviser Datuk Francis Yap.
He pointed to the party’s Secretary-General cum Deputy Speaker Datuk Richard Yong We Kong as an example of a leader trained this way.
He said Malaysia’s political landscape has shifted from a two-party system to one with multiple coalitions and that the SAPP has not been defeated but has not yet achieved its final goal.
Yong cited past achievements including the recognition of Sabah Day and the declassification of the 1976 Double Six air crash report.
On livelihood issues, he said party leaders including Deputy President Datuk Edward Dagul helped stop the RM3 billion Kaiduan Dam project, which was replaced by the Ulu Padas Water Supply Scheme.
He added that the SAPP opposed coal-fired power plants as early as 2007, a stance he said is now reflected in the Energy Commission of Sabah policy.
Yong said the SAPP will continue combining the experience of senior leaders with the energy of younger members to pursue its goals of a Sabah IC and the return of Labuan to Sabah.
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