At least three senior party leaders are widely expected to be dropped from the central working committee of the Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) at the party's triennial delegates conference this weekend.

They are vice-president Song Swee Guan, who is also member of Parliament for Kuching, vice- president William Tanyuh, a former state representative for Bengoh, and deputy secretary-general Noel Ramsay Jitam, a former assistant minister.

Song's party seat is expected to go to Works Ministry parliamentary secretary and member of Parliament for Padawan Yong Khoon Seng while Tanyuh's will either go to the member of Parliament for Serian, Richard Riot, or the state assemblyperson for Bengoh, Dr Jerip Susil.

State assemblyperson for Tanjung Datu Ranum Mina is expected to replace Jitam as deputy secretary-general.

Vice-president Wong Soon Ko, the state minister for infrastructure development and communications, is tipped to fill the new second deputy secretary-general post. He is also the Sibu division chief.

It is not known who is replacing Wong as the third vice-president. The party has four vice presidents.

Losing interest

Song, a former state assembly speaker and former four-term state assemblyperson for Padungan, has been increasingly less seen at the party's central working committee meetings and public functions.

This has prompted SUPP president Dr George Chan Hong Nam, one of Sarawak's deputy chief ministers, to say publicly that "he (Song) seems to be losing interest".

Song himself told malaysiakini recently that he would leave his position in the party to the leadership to decide.

In recent weeks, focus of interest within the party, however, has been on the post of Youth chief presently held by Lee Kim Shin, the state assemblyperson for Senadin and political secretary to Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud.

Lee who has served two terms, has announced that he is not seeking re-election. However, he has not said publicly whom he is backing as his successor. He is said to favour a candidate from Sibu, which is at variance with the choice of the majority of Youth members who prefer 38-year-old Kuching lawyer Allan Sim, the Youth chief of Pending branch.

Malaysiakini understands that nominations for the 60 committee posts in the Youth wing exceeded the available places, indicating that unless there are withdrawals there will be contests something which top party leaders, especially the president, want to avoid.

Sim is said to have the support of most Youth divisions in the central and western regions, including Sibu, Sarikei and Kuching, whereas another lesser known prospective candidate is said to have the backing of some northern divisions, including Miri.

No contest

Except for some Youth posts, all top posts, from president to treasurer, are expected to be uncontested.

According to one party insider, by the time nominations close in a day or two, most key posts in the three committees the central working committee, Women's section and Youth section would have already been pre-determined and that the election would merely be a formality.

"This to a certain extent is an indication that SUPP is a well-controlled party that wants to avoid any split as has been seen in the other component parties in the BN," the source added.

Prime Minister and Barisan Nasional chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad will open the party's conference in Kuching on Dec 19.