UPP to rejoin SUPP? Not likely, says analyst

Jeniri Amir of Unimas says members from both parties must first change their attitudes.

PETALING JAYA: A political analyst has scoffed at a fresh call for the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) to reunite with its splinter, the United People’s Party (UPP).

Jeniri Amir, a professor at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas), told FMT anyone hoping for such a merger in the near future was indulging in wishful thinking.

He was reacting to a recent statement by Richard Wee, the president of the Federation of Chinese Associations of Kuching, Samarahan and Serian Divisions.

Wee, speaking at a Chinese New Year dinner on Sunday, said his organisation held a “fervent hope” that the two parties would reconcile so that Chinese representation in the state government would be strengthened.

Jeniri noted that many such calls had been made in recent times, but he said a reunion was unlikely in the foreseeable future because the attitudes of several members of both parties would prevent it.

“These members are not open, they are not sincere and they are not willing to sacrifice their power and positions for the sake of the people,” he said.

He acknowledged that leaders of the two parties had, on several occasions, expressed their desire to see a reunion, but he questioned whether they had bothered to inspire their followers to wish for the same.

“On the one hand they say they want to reunite, but what seems to be happening on the ground does not reflect the intentions and aspirations of the leaders.”

He said members of the two parties were constantly hurling insults at each other and had been seen to be over-competitive at times.

“They try to outdo each other in their attempts to show the Chinese community which party better represents it and they keep saying negative things about each other. So I think it’s difficult to realise this agenda.

“If they want to reunite, then it is important for the top leadership and those at the grassroots level to really understand the benefits of such a unity.”

UPP was founded in 2014. -FMT