SUPP leader blames BN for its failure

Barisan Nasion has been in power for a long time and it has become complacent. It is also the rootcause of the people’s dissatisfaction.

KUCHING: The Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) treasurer David Teng has blamed the policies and decisions of the Barisan Nasional for its dismal performances in the recently concluded state election.

In the election, SUPP contested 19 seats, but lost 13 of them, a number of which it had held for the past 41 years.

Teng, who lost his Repok seat which he won in 1983, said that the BN was the rootcause of the people’s dissatisfaction because of its many policies and decisions.

“The BN has been in power for a long time and it is natural that a house becomes dusty after some non-cleaning period.

“Hence, wise and courageous leaders must take up the challenge to see through spring-cleaning.
And as far as spring-cleaning is concerned, there are things we need to get rid of,” the former assistant minister was quoted as saying by a local daily.

“The BN is in dire need of spring-cleaning, and it must be launched as soon as possible. Every member of the BN coalition is obligated to cleanse the dusty place,” he said.

He said that SUPP, being a part of the BN coalition, came with various unsettled issues that had displeased the communities, adding that a through cleansing would help tone down the aggressiveness of the opposition and subsequently making them powerless.

He believed that the Chinese community will return to the BN if the ruling government adapts to changes and reviews certain policies.

He said: “The Chinese are agile, elastic and realistic and they are responsive to necessary changes and have never indicated that they will not opt for change.

“They have nothing against the government. They are merely unhappy with some policies of the Barisan government.

“They sent a strong and clear message in the last election that they are not happy with the BN government,” he stressed.

SUPP, he said, was also partly to be blamed for being too ‘accommodative’, and as a result it failed its political role in the BN.

SUPP need to change

Urging party leaders not to point fingers at others, Teng said: “We can blame nobody for where we stand today, because the party is gradually losing the ground for its vision and battle.

“The party resolved to build and maintain a fair and reasonable society when it decided to join the state coalition government way back in 1971.

“It was supposed to play a check and balance role especially on government policies. It did a good job at first, but scenario altered as years passed by,” he said, pointing out that the change was due to a change of attitude of some of party leaders.

“In the past, SUPP leftist leaders would always abide by the party’s call. And now this has changed following education and a change of mindset among some party members.

“A disadvantage is that loyalty can be compromised due to transformation of society. In the old days, many members were engaged in the agriculture and labour-intensive industries which drove them to be part and parcel of politics in order to improve their life style.

‘But nowadays, not many members are engaged in agriculture and most of them are employed. They do not have much time for politics,” he said.

Their loyalty to the party dampened, he said, suggesting that the party should come up with some programmes to instil loyalty and enhance understanding and confidence in the party.

“A change of leadership does not necessarily help because the key problem lies in loyalty and commitment of party members,” he said.

Teng was referring to the calls for all the current leaders to step down en bloc and to be replaced by a new set of leadership.

Some 28 branch leaders and some members of central committee (CC) who are not happy with party president George Chan want Teng to take over.