Wong Soon Koh’s faction warns they would all ‘sink and swim’ together if any member is sacked
SIBU: The war of words between the two SUPP warring camps heated up yesterday with Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh’s faction cautioning the party against sacking any of its members.
“Since Day One, when (party president Tan Sri Peter) Chin’s group intended to attack any one of us, the bridge of negotiation has been burnt.
“We have decided to sink and swim together. If any one of the six is being kicked out of the party, the other five will sink and swim together (sic),” said Wong’s faction in a statement released here yesterday.
The statement was in response to Chin’s statement on Saturday that the assertion by Dr Jerip Susil (the Bengoh assemblyman in Wong’s faction) a day earlier that all six members in Wong’s camp had been referred to the disciplinary committee was “not factual”.
After chairing the central working committee meeting at SUPP headquarters in Kuching, Chin said only one of the six assemblymen had been referred to the disciplinary committee.
“We have not referred any of them to the disciplinary committee, except for one,” said Chin.
SUPP split into two factions following accusations of irregularities in the run-up to the party’s triennial delegates’ conference (TDC) in Kuching in December 2011.
One camp is helmed by Wong, who is also SUPP Sibu chief and Bawang Assan assemblyman, and the other by Chin.
The other members in Wong’s faction are assemblymen Datuk Lee Kim Shin (Senadin), Datuk Francis Harden (Simanggang), Ranum Mina (Opar) and
Dr Johnical Rayong
(Engkilili).
They also said in the statement that it made no difference whether the party intended to take disciplinary action against one of them because all six would “sink and swim together”.
It also said Chin’s motive was clear: His faction wanted to act against Wong’s faction.
The group also cautioned that Wong’s faction had the support of political secretaries to the Chief Minister, councillors, community leaders, government appointed representatives, and party members.
“Some of them have indicated to Chin already about their firm stand in sinking and swimming with us.”
Wong’s faction also said they supported Dr Jerip’s statement that the party should not mete out disciplinary action against any member as the Registrar of Societies (ROS) had yet to decide on the legality of its status following problems emanating from the run-up to the TDC in 2011.
They added that before the ROS announced its findings from their investigation, “Chin’s faction has no authority to act against any of us”.
Meanwhile, in Kuching, Dr Jerip told The Borneo Post yesterday their motto of was ‘one for all and all for one’, so when a member gets a show cause letter, all are affected.
“It will be a direct affront to the whole team.
“We have subscribed ourselves to one for all and all for one, emphasising the unity we are subservient to,” said Dr Jerip.
He added that issuing a show cause letter to any one of their members would be against the spirit for reconciliation.
“There is a general lack of regards on this matter right from the beginning, when constant requests to rectify irregularities were ignored.”
Dr Jerip, also Assistant Minister for Public Health, said Chin’s camp was responsible to conduct the party’s TDC in a constitutional manner.
He added any aggrieved member had equal rights to seek arbitration from the Registrar of Societies (ROS) once the party failed to conduct the TDC according to its constitution.
“We put it to the party leadership to be responsible for any future action to be taken by ROS.”
He appealed to ROS to resolve the issue quickly to enable the party to regain grassroots support.
“We seek the understanding of ROS to settle this matter soonest possible so that remedial steps can be taken to regain the people’s trust and support to Barisan Nasional.
“Let it be clear that all party members from both sides must abide by the party’s constitution so that fairness and justice are not just seen, but practised.”
Any personal agenda should be put aside, stressed Dr Jerip. - theborneopost
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