KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) hopes it will be able to serve the people better now that it has joined the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition.
Party president Datuk Yong Teck Lee said after the party quit Barisan Nasional (BN) in 2008, its members gained better insight and perspective by regarding the government as the "outsider".
"Looking at the government from the outside, fighting the government at the federal and state levels, we have gained a lot of wisdom.
"We learnt of the frustrations of the people on the ground, who do not have access to government facilities and services.
"Thus we can bring a lot of that knowledge and experience (to the table) through the ruling coalition now," he said, adding that the new direction adopted by the party will be a heavy responsibility.
Yong was speaking to reporters after attending a community leader meeting with Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin at the Sabah International Convention centre here, last night.
In a statement yesterday, Muhyiddin, who is also PN chairman, announced that the coalition's Supreme Council had accepted SAPP as a member following a meeting on Aug 19.
Yong, who is also former Chief Minister, added that SAPP decided to join PN as it is neither BN nor Pakatan Harapan.
He added that the party looks up to Muhyiddin's leadership, and hopes it brings back harmony and rule of law to Malaysia's administration.
Meanwhile, Yong said that meetings with other local-based parties on preparations for the upcoming state election have begun.
"I would expect discussions among PN plus parties to be expedited and more meetings to be held regularly.
"They are to discuss preparing for the election (when we will) have a common symbol (to be used to contest in state polls)," he said.