THE Barisan Nasional must have sighed a big relief after successfully seeing through a government motion in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday by a convincing vote of 129 against 78. But what we were not able to know was how the two MPs from the delinquent Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) would have voted because they were not in the house.

It is also highly unlikely that the proposed motion of no confidence being planned by the SAPP against Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will get to be accepted although who will actually try and table it is anyone's guess.

What appears to be happening is a hide-and-seek by SAPP orchestrated by its president Yong Teck Lee. In confirming that they had been called home Yong also claimed that MPs Eric Majimbun and Dr. Chua Soon Bui had been threatened via sms and through others means. But any problem relating to the purported threats seems to be confined to Sabah so it didn't quite make sense for the two to be going back to the lion's den.

The overal picture is very unclear. Majimbun has gone on record with the press to say that while he too no longer had confidence in Pak Lah's leadership he would not support a motion on this in Parliament. Which clouds the issue further but as I've always said, with politicians you'll never know.

The Barisan management committee chaired by DPM Najib Razak also met yesterday and had decided on the recommended action against SAPP but the final decision rests with the coalition's supreme council. In this respect Pak Lah must again show the tough side of his character, that he has it in him to do what it takes not matter how risky and how unpopular. Leadership is presicely what the issue is all about so there is only one way to go for Pak lah.