SUPP says Abang Johari will decide on Bawang Assan candidate

 Party president Dr Sim Kui Hian says GPS partners had agreed to leave candidate selection to the coalition chairman.

SUPP president Dr Sim Kui Hian was reported to have said in July that he would submit the nomination of Kevin Lau, a branch youth leader. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

The choice of candidate for the Bawang Assan seat in Sarawak, eyed by two parties in the ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak, will be left in the hands of GPS chairman Abang Johari Openg, the Sarawak United People’s Party said today.

SUPP president Dr Sim Kui Hian said GPS coalition partners had agreed to leave the selection of candidates for all 82 state constituencies to Abang Johari.

“Who is the chairman of GPS? We leave it to the premier,” Sim was quoted by the Borneo Post as saying. “Everyone has been instructed to leave it to the premier.”

Sim was responding to reports that Joshua Ting, a political secretary to Abang Johari, is believed to be the Progressive Democratic Party’s candidate for Bawang Assan, a constituency which SUPP had represented for five terms.

Bawang Assan had been represented by Wong Soon Koh for seven terms. Wong, formerly with SUPP, is now PDP’s senior vice-president. It is understood that Wong and PDP president Tiong King Sing met with Abang Johari on the matter last week.

In July, it was reported that SUPP would nominate Kevin Lau, a branch youth leader, as the party’s candidate for the seat. Sim, who is also the deputy premier, said he would submit the nomination to Abang Johari. - FMT