(Daily Express) - Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) President Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee said the RM1 million the High Court ordered him to pay former Chief Minister Tan Sri Harris Salleh served as a warning to Sabahans never to talk anymore about the Double Six tragedy that killed former Chief Minister Tun Fuad Stephens and all 10 on board the Nomad aircraft on June 6, 1976.

Yong, also a former Chief Minister, said as far as he knows, the quantum was the biggest in terms of damages ever awarded in a libel suit brought by a politician against another politician, here.

"A few years ago, Harris was awarded RM50,000 in another defamation case and I was also awarded RM50,000 after I sued a local daily, the Sabah Times," he said at a leader-with-people session at Dongonggon Point, Thursday.

The event themed as "Land Reforms and Sabah Economy Plan" was organised by SAPP's Moyog Constituency Liaison Committee.

Despite the defeat, Yong said he would continue to struggle for Sabah's autonomy and to free Sabah from the clutches of Kuala Lumpur and the injustices suffered by Sabah under the Umno-led BN government.

He likened DAP's manifesto of giving autonomy to Sabah as empty promises.

"Everything about DAP in Sabah is being controlled by DAP Kuala Lumpur leaders," he said.

He said the DAP's promise of abolishing the Crude Palm Oil sales tax worth RM1 billion is an attempt to give back between 80 and 90 per cent of the amount to major palm oil plantation companies from Kuala Lumpur.

Yong added that if that were to happen Sabah would lose RM1 billion every year and the already wealthy companies from Kuala Lumpur would be wealthier while Sabah becomes poorer.

Sabah will become beggars to Putrajaya which is what DAP wants, he said.

He said the DAP's promise to give Petronas money to every household in Penang, some RM6,000 annually, will hurt Sabahans because the money came from Sabah.

"Penang does not produce oil and so Petronas money must be coming from oil extracted out of Sabah," he said.

He said Penang is already a rich state and giving its people money taken from a poor state like Sabah is very shameful. DAP leaders in Sabah, he said, are toothless and afraid to carry out simple events without the presence of KL leaders.

Present were SAPP Moyog CLC Chairman Aloysius Danim Siap, SAPP adviser Datuk Mohd Noor Mansur, SAPP Deputy President cum Sepanggar Member of Parliament Datuk Eric Majimbun, SAPP Deputy President cum Likas Assemblyman Datuk Liew Teck Chan and other party leaders.