Yong relieved SUPP names his replacement

Datuk Yong Khoon Seng

KUCHING: Stampin MP Datuk Yong Khoon Seng said he was happy that his party SUPP has finally nominated a young and capable candidate in lawyer Wilfred Yap to succeed him.

“Now I can finally retire happily,” the five-term MP said, heaving a sigh of relief.

On the other hand, he would not comment whether Yap would be the most winnable candidate for Stampin except to say that if it was the party’s decision, it must therefore be respected. Yong is Deputy Minister of Works.

Prior to yesterday’s decision, the party announced that it was still undecided on who between Yap and MPP chairman Lo Khere Chiang should be recommended to the Barisan Nasional as its Stampin parliamentary candidate.

At one time Yong even quipped that there were four party members able to succeed him but he never revealed their names except to say that the four had sometimes followed him around whenever he went to the ground to meet people.

Meanwhile, Yap told The Borneo Post that the announcement came as a surprise.

“I didn’t expect to be nominated. I have been in the party for 20 years and was a little bit surprised at the confidence given to me.”

He pointed out that SUPP president Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui had spoken about the party’s transformation plan which included giving young blood the chance to serve the party and the people.

“This is part of it, and it shows that they mean what they say,” Yap said.

He thanked the party and its members for their support and said he would try his best.

When met after the SUPP Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting yesterday at the party headquarters, Lo said he was surprised but then again he believed in the decision of the CWC.

He explained that he respected the decision.

“The decision must be respected as it is one made by the majority. There must be a good reason why the CWC has arrived at the decision,” he said.

Yong is SUPP vice chairman. Yap is SUPP Central Youth secretary and Kota Sentosa branch Youth chief while Lo is SUPP Kota Sentosa branch secretary.

sumber:theborneopost

SUPP to reveal decision of its committee on Thursday

KUCHING: Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) will not let the decision of its disciplinary committee be known until Thursday.

SUPP president Datuk Seri Peter Chin, who said this after chairing the party’s Central Working Committee (CWC) at party headquarters here yesterday, confirmed that the party’s CWC had unanimously adopted the reports and recommendations made by the party’s disciplinary committee which met on Oct 11.

“Today, they have submitted their reports and recommendations to us. We have made decisions with regards to those reports but I will not tell you the decision until this Thursday when my sec-gen Prof Dr Sim Kui Hian issue you a statement. The statement will tell you in detail what sort of decision we have made today with regards to the disciplinary committee’s recommendation,” he stated.

Chin, who is also Miri MP, said it was important for the party to issue the statement so that the press would know exactly what the party wanted to express in writing.

To a question on why the decision of the party’s disciplinary committee could not be revealed yesterday, he stated that it was because the party leadership wanted to tell the press in their own words what they had wanted to express.

“If I tell you verbally like that, there will be different versions of news reports so it is better for us to have a proper statement. Even the names you’ll be very clear and there will be no confusion,” Chin added.

When asked whether SUPP Sibu branch chairman Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh’s name was in the list, he replied: “We will tell all on Thursday, so wait.”

When pressed further on how many names were mentioned in the report, Chin requested reporters to wait for Dr Sim to issue the statement, saying everything would be crystal clear on Thursday.

On the possibility that the persons mentioned in the report had already known their fate since they might have already been informed, he replied: “I don’t know but officially, my secretary-general will issue those letters. So wait, we don’t jump the gun.”

Chin said in the event that the members were either dismissed or suspended, under the constitution they would have 30 days to appeal to the party’s central committee.

Meanwhile, Chin also mentioned during the press conference that the party had received a letter of appeal from founding member and ex-assemblyman Anthony Teo from Bintangor who had been suspended from the party for 28 years.

Suspended for some disciplinary problem, he said Teo had decided to apply for reinstatement of his membership because the suspension would not be lifted automatically.

“I’m very happy to mention to you this event because here you have people who think that SUPP is finished but I can tell you there are members like Anthony Teo who still support the party. When I go around, people also tell me that they will be behind me and support me.

“After 28 years of suspension, Anthony Teo has now decided to be active and help Sarikei candidate Ding Kuong Hiing. So this is something that shows SUPP is not finished and still surviving so I hope this sort of event will give encouragement to our new announced candidates that the party is still very much alive,” Chin said.

When asked on whether there was any more controversy surrounding the letter from Registrar of Societies, Chin preferred not to talk about it.

sumber:borneopost

Masing: We’ll wallop our opponents

SIBU: We will beat the heck out of them. That’s what PRS president Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing said when asked what he had in mind for the Opposition during the impending general election.

He said PRS was in battle-ready mode and would go full throttle when Parliament is dissolved.

“I am not worried about them (Oppostion), and I am very confident that we will beat the ‘heck’ out of them,” said Masing, who is also Minister of Land Development, yesterday.

On the recent endorsement of lawyer Abun Sui by PKR Hulu Rajang to stand in Hulu Rajang in the polls, Masing told The Borneo Post that this was their (PKR) business.

“They can decide whoever they want, but we will fight them. We have been fighting our opponents all these years.”

PKR Hulu Rajang chairman Frankie Bedindang Manjoh was quoted last week after its annual general meeting (AGM) that Abun was the ideal candidate as he had earned his reputation as a staunch defender of NCR land.

PRS’s parliamentary seats are Sri Aman, Lubok Antu, Julau, Selangau, Kanowit and Hulu Rajang.

Besides PKR, Sarawak Workers Party (SWP) is also eyeing seats belonging to PRS. Ever since its formation several months ago, SWP publicly announced that it would challenge PRS in all its six constituencies.

During PRS’s Supreme Council Meeting last Saturday, Masing said PRS 30 (comprising of members aged 30 and below) would play a significant role in helping the party retain all their six seats.

He said the party would basically utilise PRS 30 to touch base with youths.

The group would also use the social media such as Facebook and Twitter to gel with youths, he said.

sumber:borneopost

Wilfred Yap for Stampin

CONGRATULATIONS: Lo (second left) congratulating Yap (second right) after the press conference. Also seen are Tan Kai (left) and SUPP publicity and information secretary Datuk Sebastian Ting. — Photo by Chimon Upon

SUPP ends dither over choice of candidate for Stampin seat, opts for Youth wing sec-gen

KUCHING: Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) announced yesterday that it has chosen its Youth secretary-general Wilfred Yap as its candidate for the Stampin parliamentary constituency replacing incumbent Datuk Yong Khoon Seng in the coming general election.

The decision reached at the party’s Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting at its headquarters here ended months of speculation on the Stampin seat as Padawan Municipal Council chairman Lo Khere Chiang was also in the running to represent the party in the constituency.

“We have been unanimous in our decision that Wilfred Yap will take up this task of representing the party for Stampin because we feel that it is not fair to either one of them to be left uncertain after our announcement last time to say that Stampin could either be represented by Lo Khere Chiang or Wilfred Yap,” SUPP president Datuk Seri Peter Chin told a press conference after chairing the CWC meeting.

Chin said the discussion on the candidacy which also involved Yap and Lo was cordial although any decision made would entail one of them stepping aside.

“We are fighting for the party’s survival so it is indeed important that our comrades from not only the top leadership level but also the middle level and on the ground be a united group to vie for these two seats, Bandar Kuching and Stampin,” Chin said.

The CWC had also formed a joint SUPP Bandar Kuching-Stampin Parliamentary Constituencies Election Committee comprising Batu Kawa, Kota Sentosa, Batu Lintang, Padungan and Pending branches to coordinate the election campaign in the two constituencies.

The committee is headed by Chin himself and assisted by SUPP secretary-general Prof Dr Sim Kui Hian and Stampin MP Datuk Yong Khoon Seng as deputy chairmen.

Dr Sim is also the Barisan Nasional liaison officer and he is assisted by Lo. Other members in the committee are Datuk Alfred Yap (secretary), Tionia Kon (assistant secretary), Bong Lian Huan (treasurer), Lim Kheng Sze (assistant treasurer), Sih Hua Tong (publicity secretary), Shim Poh Szu (assistant publicity secretary), Milton Foo (campaign manager), Tan Joo Phoi (stage manager), Tnay Li Ping (assistant stage manager), Datuk Lily Yong (ceramah and crowd mobilisation manager) and Ong Chee Chiang (transport manager).

Chin stated that the formation of the joint election committee showed how serious the party was in wresting Bandar Kuching seat from DAP and defending the Stampin seat through Tan and Yap respectively.

“We know these two candidates are new and young but we have full confidence in them because of their youth and enthusiasm. This is also in line with the transformation agenda of our party to ensure that the party has a younger front,” he said.

Chin stressed that now that the party had decided that Yap would be its candidate for Stampin seat, nobody could accuse that it of being indecisive.

“Of course, I must qualify that all this that these two candidates Tan Kai for Bandar Kuching and Wilfred Yap for Stampin will be submitted to both state and federal BN leadership for approval,” Chin said.

He added that this time around, all the branches and members in Kuching were all solidly united and no longer worked in “silos” anymore.

sumber:theborneopost

Radio Free Sarawak ‘running wild’

SIBU: The stealth modus operandi of Radio Free Sarawak has grown to become a ‘grave concern’ as it is sowing deceit among the rural populace.

It (Radio) has gone ‘wild’ by hurling all kinds of allegations and accusations against the government, cautioned PRS president Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing after the party’s Supreme Council Meeting here on Saturday.

“We view this matter with grave concern, given that the main form of communication in the rural areas is radio,” he said, adding that this issue was deliberated during the meeting.

“I hope that rural folks will be more discerning when listening to news broadcasted by Radio Free Sarawak.”

Masing admitted that it was difficult to nail the perpetrators for they not only use different frequencies but also operate through mobile stations.

“I don’t listen to Radio Free Sarawak, but apparently from the report that we had, it is running wild. Running wild in the sense that they tell all kinds of stories and make all kinds of allegations and accusations against government of the day,” he bemoaned.

He added that party vice president Datuk Joseph Salang, who is also Deputy Minister of Information, Communication and Culture, told the meeting that it was difficult to home in on these individuals.

“Firstly, they are using different frequencies which we cannot control, and their stations are mobile to avoid detection,” explained Masing, who is also Minister of Land Development.

“You see, one day they will be here, the next time they could be in Malacca, and other time in Limbang or elsewhere. They are always on the move, so it’s hard to control them.”

The only viable option left is to advise all listeners to analyse what they hear carefully, and not to accept things at face value.

“All listeners must put on their thinking cap, and become more discerning when listening to their news.”

sumber:borneopost

PRU13: Wakil rakyat BN sentiasa bersedia

BAU: Sama ada senarai calon Barisan Nasional (BN) yang bertanding pada Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-13 (PRU13) diumumkan lebih awal atau tidak, wakil rakyat BN di Sarawak tetap terus bersedia untuk menghadapinya.

Ahli Parlimen Mambong Datuk Dr James Dawos Mamit berkata, ia merupakan amalan Ahli-ahli Parlimen di negeri ini untuk sentiasa turun padang bersama rakyat dari awal.

“Pengumuman senarai calon adalah terpulang kepada pucuk pimpinan tertinggi BN iaitu pengerusi BN.

“Jika Yang Amat Berhormat Perdana Menteri mahu senarai calon dihantar kepada beliau, maka semua presiden parti komponen BN menghantar senarai,” katanya pada sidang media selepas merasmikan Regata Jong Bau 2012 yang diadakan di Tasik Biru di sini, semalam.

Dawos yang juga Timbalan Menteri Pelancongan berkata, walaupun setiausaha agung BN Pusat telah menyatakan perkara berkenaan namun sebelum Parlimen dibubarkan maka pengumuman belum dapat diketahui.

“Namun bagi saya dan Ahli Parlimen lain kami akan terus memberi khidmat kepada rakyat dan turun padang sejak awal lagi terutama pada hujung minggu.

“Semua wakil rakyat di Sarawak memang sentiasa bersedia dan apabila pilihan raya diadakan kami terus berkempen dengan lebih strategik lagi,” tegas beliau.

Sementara itu semalam satu laman sesawang menyatakan bahawa BN tidak menolak kebarangkalian untuk mengumumkan senarai nama calon yang bakal bertanding pada PRU13 lebih awal berbanding pilihan raya sebelum ini.

Setiausaha Agung BN Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor juga mengesahkan pengumuman ini bukan sahaja melibatkan calon UMNO semata-mata, akan tetapi merangkumi kesemua senarai daripada parti komponen yang terlibat.

“Ada lebih banyak kebaikan untuk menamakan calon lebih awal berbanding keburukannya dan hanya sedikit perbezaan pada Pilihan Raya Umum akan datang,” katanya sambil memberitahu, keputusan rasmi bakal diperolehi menerusi budi bicara dan kebijaksanaan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak selaku pengerusi BN.

SUPP Youth derides DAP for opposing implementation of AES

KUCHING: SUPP Youth yesterday questioned DAP’s intention in opposing the implementation of Automated Enforcement System (AES).

“This has clearly shown that DAP is hell bent to oppose only for the sake of opposing and nothing more (than that),” said its chief Tan Kai in a statement yesterday.

“It also laid bare the fact that DAP’s populist approach was merely to please the people and not defending their wellbeing,” he said.

Tan, who is SUPP’s pick for Bandar Kuching in the impending 13th general election, also blasted Pakatan leaders for opposing the AES. He opined that they had no in-depth knowledge about traffic regulation offences.

“Undeniably, Pakatan Rakyat’s populist approach sounded much more pleasing to most people. But in the end, people are left to face the consequences alone,” Tan cautioned.

“To gain political mileage and to secure more ballots, DAP has never hesitated in exploiting and stirring up people’s emotions, instigating the road users to bend or even to break the rules, and causing chaos.”

Tan said in their eagerness to please the minor few who loved to speed and break the laws, the safety of the majority of road users was completely ignored.

“Do they even know which ones are the top priorities and which ones not?”

Though AES is admittedly far from perfect – especially on the part where speed limit at certain accident prone areas are restricted to a mere 30kmph which is nearly not feasible – Tan stressed that the purpose of this restriction was to ensure the safety of all road users.

“I feel sorry for the DAP. The number of cases of severe road traffic accidents is growing at an alarming rate nationwide and money and even lives were lost. Did DAP leaders choose to ignore this on purpose, or they simply wanted to oppose Barisan’s policies that are beneficial to the people?”

Tan went on to say that it had always been the opposition’s tactic to stir and play with people’s emotions in order to gain popularity.

SUPP Youth, on the other hand, is critical of the relevant enforcement authorities for not paying enough attention to curb traffic offences such as reckless driving, speeding and running red lights.

sumber:borneopost