SUPP on deathbed?

SUPP deputy secretary-general Wong Soon Koh's defiance is set to cause further strain between Hokkien and Foochow clansmen within Sarawak United People's Party.

KUCHING: The political grapevine here is sizzling with rumours that a peaking internal rift between factions within Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) may see the party self-destruct.

The party’s central working committee (CWC), already divided on several issues, yesterday refused to endorse deputy secretary-general Wong Soon Koh’s appointment into the state cabinet.

“The acceptance of Wong as a state cabinet minister is strictly his personal decision. It is not endorsed by the party,” party treasurer David Teng said in a statement.

The CWC is dead set against its two Chinese elected representatives – Wong (Bawang Assan) and Lee Kim Shin (Senadin) – accepting posts in Chief Minister Taib Mahmud’s cabinet in view of the party’s embarrassing performance in the Saturday state polls.

SUPP lost 13 of the 19 seats it contested. Besides Wong and Lee, the other four seats were won by their Dayak colleagues.

A party insider disclosed that many of the leaders, including those who were defeated, felt that it would not be right for SUPP to accept any appointments in the new state cabinet in view of its poor performance.

But Wong, who sees himself as a likely deputy chief minister (DCM), defied the CWC and joined his peers from the other Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties for the swearing-in ceremony at Petrajaya on Monday.

Following SUPP president Dr George Chan’s defeat in Piasau, the DCM post is now up for grabs.

Eyeing the post is Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president James Masing.

Masing is all set to push through a bigger Dayak representation in the state cabinet.

Current Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) deputy president Alfred Jabu, also a Dayak, holds the other DCM post.

‘We will survive’

Meanwhile, SUPP sources said seething anger within the party and allegations of favouritism, “sabotage” and “dictator-style” of making decisions in the run-up to naming the candidates are now out in the open.

SUPP has always been struggling to deal with the undercurrent of resentment between Hokkein and Foochow clansmen.

“The party is on its deathbed. Members are very angry. Many are leaving the party. They blame the party’s failure on internal sabotage and dictatorial decisions.

“He (Chan) promised to field new faces in this election but eventually the selection council decided to retain the incumbents. Many potentail candidates are angry,” said the source, lending credence to speculations that Wong may lead a disgruntled team into joining BN partner Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP).

Talk in the political circles here is that Taib had allegedly voiced his views about SUPP’s future and had suggested SPDP as a possible route for unhappy members to ensure the party stay relevant.

SPDP won six out of the eight seats it contested.

Meanwhile, Chan has thrown his support behind Wong’s decision to remain in the state cabinet.

He said the CWC’s statement did not have his blessing and that it was essential that the Chinese community be representated in the cabinet.

Advising his committee members to remain calm, he said: “I told them not to be negative and impulsive. The most important thing is fulfilling the needs of the Chinese community and consider their opinions.

“Our party will still survive… it is a big party.” - FMT