SUPP’s Wong not amused by Chin’s almost daily calls to return to fold

 

 Posted on February 8, 2012, Wednesday

SIBU: Former Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) presidential hopeful Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh is not amused by what he described as almost daily appeals in the press by party president Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui for him and his group to return to the party.
“We have not left the party. We are still its members. Some of us, to a certain extent, are still its leaders although we’re not in the central working committee.

“The repeated calls for me and five other SUPP assemblymen and member of parliament Datuk Tiong Thai King to return is totally irrelevant and unfair,” he told a press conference, here, Tuesday.

Wong and his group had boycotted the party triennial delegates conference(TDC) on Dec 11, last year over alleged irregularities at a number of branch elections held prior to the TDC.

Chin who is Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister, as well as Miri member of parliament won the presidential election uncontested.

Wong, the state Minister of Local Government and Community Development, said they were still waiting for the Registrar of Societies (ROS) to announce the outcome of its investigations into the alleged irregularities.

“We would like to appeal to Chin to stop making such calls, especially in the Chinese press. We cannot be part of the irregularities.

“If Chin is really sincere, if he wants us to join him, he should make a stand whether the irregularities are true or otherwise.

“Take the Pending branch election…the ballot papers were only printed in Mandarin which prevented our Bumiputera and non-Chinese educated Chinese members from casting their votes,” he said.

Wong said the election was eventually won by Prof Dr Sim Kui Hian who later became the party’s secretary-general.

“The Pending branch is significant because its former leader is Datuk Sim Kheng Hui, who is also the former party secretary-general and was the branch election chairman.

“In the case of the Sarikei branch election, the ballot box was placed in a longhouse when it should be placed in the branch premises and the election done there,” he said.

Wong said Chin also claimed that he was legally elected by over 300 delegates at the TDC when over 300 others were not present.

On another matter, Wong said the SUPP Sibu branch was confident of the party doing well in the parliamentary constituencies of Sibu and Lanang despite the impasse.

“Chin can leave Sibu and Lanang to us. Our incumbent for Lanang Datuk Tiong Thai King can handle it himself.

“With regard to Sibu, we are going to recapture the seat from the DAP after losing it in the by-election on May 16, 2010,” he said.

Wong said while he could not help much in Miri, Chin too would not be able to do the same in Sibu. –Bernama