MCA vice-president Donald Lim has been ticked off for demanding more seats as well as a deputy chief minister’s (DCM) post in Sabah, for his peninsula-based party.

He was told instead to clean up his own backyard by uniting leaders and members of his party.

Tham Nyip Shen, a former deputy chief minister who recently quit Sabah Progressive Party (Sapp), described Lim as “rather arrogant” for asking that the DCM post be reassigned to Sabah MCA head Edward Khoo and for the party to be allowed to contest 10 state and five parliamentary seats.

raymond tan The post is currently held by Sapp deputy president Raymond Tan, who is himself being pressured to leave Sapp or be sacked after his fallout with his party over its decision last month to pull out Barisan Nasional.

“(Lim) should respect the decision of the state government (to keep Tan in the post) as it is the chief minister’s prerogative to pick his deputy. Such a demand is indeed unwarranted and done in bad faith,” Tham said in a statement.

donald lim and mca He said Lim (left) and Khoo should not use their government posts as a bargaining chip to gain political support or to fish for votes in the run-up to the MCA poll on Oct 18.

“It is very unethical, ungentlemanly and wicked of them (to do so),” said Tham, who is said to be sympathetic to Tan keeping his post.

Tham said it does not make sense for Lim to demand additional seats in Sabah when MCA suffered unprecedented losses in the March general election.

ong ka chuan chua soi lek 030108 Lim is also in a three-cornered contest for the party deputy presidency, against secretary-general Ong Ka Chuan (left) and vice-president Dr Chua Soi Lek (right).

“I sincerely think that they should perhaps sort out their problems at home before claiming to champion the interests of Sabah people, of which I am very doubtful,” said Tham.

He said MCA outgoing president Ong Ka Ting had been more reasonable than Lim in remarks delivered to the Sabah MCA convention held in Kota Kinabalu on Saturday.

Tan’s next move?

Meanwhile, speculation continues that a group of former Sapp members led by Tan are planning to set up a party to be called Sabah People's Movement Party which will apply to join BN.

Informed sources told Malaysiakini that the move is likely to draw objections from several component parties in the state BN, including Upko, MCA and Gerakan, who feel that the ruling coalition already has a large number of parties.

musa aman and the sabah state Tan is reported to be facing difficulty in setting up a pro-tem committee, hence the delay in making a formal announcement about the new party, which will have to be approved by the Registrar of Societies.

Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman (right) has reportedly said the group can apply to join the BN.

Critics view Tan's move as a bid by him and his supporters to keep their posts in the state government.