Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) president Dr George Chan said today the party is still with the Barisan Nasional (BN).

Quashing rumours that the state's oldest party was contemplating leaving Sarawak BN but remaining a BN component at the federal level, he said Supp had always been a partner with Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) in the coalition since the 1970s.

NONE "Of course, we are with BN all the time, unless something happens," Chan ( right ), who is also Sarawak deputy chief minister told reporters after chairing a meeting with key SUPP leaders, including secretary general Sim Kheng Hui, publicity and information secretary Alfred Yap Chin Loi and vice-president Lily Yong, at the party's heaquarters in Kuching.

In recent weeks, rumours have been circulating after some grassroots members stated that there would be no purpose for the SUPP to remain in Sarawak BN if issues facing the Chinese community in the state remained unresolved.

Earlier, in a two-paragraph statement handed to the media, Chan said he would see Sarawak BN chairperson and Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud on some of the issues pertaining to the state.

"I believe that the chief minister will respond positively to them," he said but remained evasive on these issues that would be discussed at the forthcoming meeting.

'Good government'

The SUPP chief said he met with Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak recently on some of the federal issues affecting the community, including education, business and economics.

He said Najib, as the national BN chairperson, understood these problems and had responded positively to them.

"Our meeting touched on all (issues) [...] what the people want to make us a good government," he said.

SUPP failed to retain Sibu, which was once regarded as its stronghold, during the recent parliamentary by-election there besides faring badly in the 2006 state election when it lost eight of the 19 seats it contested.

 

– Bernama