Kota Kinabalu: Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Raymond Tan was on Wednesday told to stop "insulting the intelligence of people in Sabah" and focus on the various issues that are still plaguing the State and its people.

"Do a favour for the people of Sandakan by making full use of your last days in the Cabinet to call off the proposed coal-fired power plant instead," said Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Information Officer, Chong Pit Fah, in a statement.

He was responding to Tan's remarks on Monday that he might abandon the formation of a new political party, citing that his main task now was to win back the people's support for Barisan Nasional (BN) following the pulling out of SAPP on Sept. 17.

Chong urged Tan to be more conscientious when supporting the controversial coal-fired power plant project for Sandakan, which will be sited at Seguntur Bay.

"Can he (Tan) guarantee that the project will not cause any grave impact to the environment as well as those living in the surrounding areas? "The fact that the State Government had rejected the plant in Lahad Datu in April this year on environmental grounds effectively means that it should be scrapped in total.
"If it's not safe for Lahad Datu, how can it be safe for Sandakan?," he asked.