THE absence of Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) Sibu branch chairman Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh at the recent Chap Goh Mei celebration in Kuching on Feb 21 caught the attention of many political observers, including the guest-of-honour Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
In an apparent reference to party strongman Wong, Najib, in his speech said he would like SUPP to "play your part".
Agreeing with the views of Pehin Sri (Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud), Najib said SUPP must be united, "you must set aside some of your personal differences, and become one unit. Only with the unity of SUPP, can you command the support and respect of the Chinese community."
He then exhorted the party to prove it can be strong once more.
"SUPP must rise to the challenge. SUPP must be the party of choice for the Chinese community, that is what we hope and that is what Pehin Sri hopes as well," said Najib, who celebrated the joyous occasion for the first time with some 10,000 people in Kuching.
Despite Najib's clarion call, can the reconciliation of the different factions in SUPP help the party rise up to the challenge? Can SUPP once again be a force in Sarawak politics?
Party infighting
Briefly, the internal tussles within SUPP, Sarawak United People's Party – the oldest political party in Sarawak – began seven years ago after the party's dismal performance in the 2006 state election. It was between the then president Tan Sri George Chan and Wong, who was the deputy secretary-general at that time.
In the last party election in 2011, Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui was elected as the new president, after Wong and his group staged a walkout.
Wong and his group, who comprise the majority of SUPP's elected representatives, claim that Chin's election and that of his office bearers was not valid because of irregularities during the branch elections. He has since refused to work with the new president.
The quarrel between Wong and Chin is also being perceived as a tug-of-war between the state BN leadership and its Federal counterpart.
Chin is the federal Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister, while Wong is the Minister of Local Government and Community Development, the only full minister from SUPP in the state cabinet.
Chan, who is now the party's advisor, was present at the Chap Goh Mei dinner. As noted by a veteran journalist, it would have been news if Wong Soon Koh was present.
All's well with PM and CM
During the dinner, both Taib and Najib appeared very much in sync, both in their attire (they were wearing identical red colour Chinese shirts) and in their message.
Taib asked the people to give a stronger mandate to Najib, like in 2008, or greater.
Najib, in return, said BN would work with closely with Sarawak BN under the leadership of Taib to ensure Sarawakians can enjoy a brighter future.
After tossing the yee sang, Najib immediately served the colourful dish to Taib, who was sitting on his right, while his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor simultaneously served Taib's wife Puan Sri Ragad Kurdi.
Mindful political observers had not forgotten that less than two years ago before the state election in April 2011, Najib had announced a succession plan for Taib – a move that was widely believed orchestrated to get the support of the Chinese.
This was due to the community's strong negative sentiment against the longest-serving chief minister and the corruption allegations that have dogged him.
However, the announced succession plan – which Taib refused to acknowledge – did little to win over the Chinese electorate.
In the 2011 elections, SUPP suffered a big blow, losing 13 of the 19 seats they contested in to DAP and PKR. Many senior politicians lost to DAP's new faces, including the then deputy chief minister Chan.
All the election promises, grand development and economic transformation plans, as well as concerts with free Tupperware, lucky draws, free 1Malaysia goodies and many others that were generously given out during the campaign period did little to win over Chinese support.
This time around, BN has changed tact. Sunday's well-organised CNY dinner which cost RM1.5 million, may have been lavish, with brand new canopies covering 1,000 tables, and a six course sit-down dinner.
But there was a notable difference in that there was no announcement of any voter-pleasing promises by the BN leaders. SUPP president Chin, when he spoke, only made three requests to the federal government.
Chin's requests were: setting up the Shanghai Jiao Tong University's campus branch in Kota Samarahan; upgrading the Kuching-Serian road from 10 to 15th mile to dual carriageway; and, setting up another Chinese school in Stutong.
Also, the only freebies given out to the guest were oranges – no ang pows as rumoured. The limited 30 lucky draws – ang pow to a table of 10 people – were sponsored by Kuching dignities as announced by the emcee.
DAP's casual do
Contrary to the well-dressed participants at Najib's function, most of DAP's Chap Goh Mei dinner goers came in casual shorts and slippers. The dinner on the actual date of Chap Goh Mei, two days after SUPP's function, had as guest of honour DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang.
There were no dining tables or chairs and only two canopies covering the simple buffet style meal, which was already finished before most people arrived.
The DAP leaders stood on a lorry-turned stage and spoke via six loudspeakers in their typical "rocket" style – loud, with attacks on the white hair (their nickname for Taib), and songs. The Pending state assembly member Violet Yong has a flair for the latter.
There was an estimated crowd of some 1,000 people standing or sitting around the huge compound at Chong Lin Park.
This is the same place the Opposition party held their last ceramah a day before the polls in 2008, which attracted tens of thousands of people. And the result – DAP's Chong Chieng Jen retained the Kuching seat with some 10,000 majority votes.
Short-lived unity
Before the last state election, SUPP's Chan and Wong had appeared to have put their differences aside and reconciled. But the "unity" of the party did not filter to the ground.
SUPP lost all the state seats in the Kuching area – Padungan and Pending, which make up Kuching parliamentary seat, and Batu Kawah, Batu Lintang and Kota Sentosa which make up Stampin parliamentary seat.
Chong had indicated that he would defend the Kuching seat, but to date, DAP and PKR have yet to resolve the overlapping claims to the Stampin seat. It is understood that the 14 seats eyed by DAP includes Stampin.
In 2008, the Stampin parliamentary seat saw a three-cornered fight among SUPP's Datuk Yong Khoon Seng, DAP's Voon Li Shan and PKR's See Chee How. Yong retained the seat by a slim majority.
This time around, SUPP's candidates for Kuching and Stampin parliamentary seats are Youth chief Tan Kai and Youth secretary-general Wilfred Yap, respectively, both of whom were present at the dinner but not invited on stage to greet the voters.
Nevertheless, the crowds at the Chap Goh Mei's dinners cannot be interpreted as an indication of voters' support. As the previous state polls suggests, the last minute reconciliation within different fractions in the SUPP cannot do magic either.
In fact, all the Sarawak state BN component parties – SUPP, two Dayak-based parties Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) and Party Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) – have some kind of internal tussles or external problems. The exception is Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB) led by Taib, which has never failed to deliver the much-needed mandate required by Najib.
Political analysts say for GE13, PBB can retain its 14 parliamentary seats, and the other BN component parties can win half a dozen or more to deliver at least 20 seats out of the 31 at stake.
So, what Najib said was true: the next election is a true test for BN, and SUPP especially. Whether the different fractions in the SUPP – the weakest link in the coalition – can reconcile, may not matter at all in GE13. But what is at stake for SUPP is its survival as a party of any significance in Sarawak politics.
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