To the surprise of many, SUPP president George Chan has openly backed his long-time rival in the party - deputy secretary-general Wong Soon Koh - to be re-appointed as a state minister despite the fact that Wong’s decision to accept a cabinet post was not endorsed by the party leadership.

azlan According to See Hua Daily News , Chan said Wong should be in the state cabinet before the party members reach a decision on whether SUPP should withdraw all its Chinese representatives in the state government following its appalling defeat in last Saturday’s state polls.

Chan pointed out that the statement issued by the party’s central working committee (CWC) saying that the acceptance of a cabinet post by Wong was his personal decision, did not have his blessing.

“In my opinion, this is not the solution. Does that mean that all mayors, councillors and community leaders should step down, too?” he asked.

After losing 13 of the 19 seats it contested, the CWC had called an emergency meeting on Monday and resolved to recommend four bumiputra or Dayak elected representatives to serve in the state cabinet.

NONE On MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek’s advise that SUPP’s Chinese representatives should not accept any post in the state cabinet as the party had lost the support of Chinese voters, the party refused to comment but revealed that it had made some recommendations for its two Chinese elected representatives - Wong (Bawang Assan) and Lee Kim Shin (Senadin) ( right ), which have not been made public to date.

It was reported that Wong left in the middle of the meeting to attend the swearing-in ceremony.

Wong’s decision to accept the ministership was said to irk many party leaders who lost in the election and prompted the party secretariat to issue a statement the next day, claiming that the decision was not endorsed by the party.

According to the Borneo Post , the ‘CWC statement’ which read “The acceptance of Wong as a state cabinet minister is strictly his personal decision” was released by party treasurer Teng Lung Chi, who had earlier held a meeting with secretary-general Sim Kheng Hui and publicity and information secretary Alfred Yap, among others.

Meeting actually a ‘motivational talk session’

However, Teng claimed that the meeting was actually a ‘motivational talk session’ among the party leaders who were present and it did not discuss Wong’s decision.

Both Teng and Yap lost in Repok and Kota Sentosa respectively in the election.

The next day, Chan rebutted the statement, saying that he was not informed of the meeting and the statement had not been approved by him.

He conceded that during the CWC meeting on Monday, there was a suggestion that Wong and Lee should not enter the state cabinet but no final decision was made.

“We should listen to everyone in the party and even hold an emergency meeting to discuss this,” he said.

“Give us time because we cannot afford to make any hasty decisions. Therefore, we should allow Wong to be sworn in to the cabinet first” he added.

“If the party eventually decides (to join the state cabinet), then Wong has no problem. If the party decides otherwise, they he has to choose what to do.”

Wong’s decision has irked not only Chinese leaders, but also Dayak leaders in the party.

sarawak election bn sri aman dinner 120411 supp simanggang candidate francis harden hollis According to China Press , deputy secretary-general II Francis Harden Hollis ( left ) urged the party to act on Wong.

“If we don’t pursue it, who will follow party discipline in the future? However, I leave the matter for the party leadership to decide,” he said.

Wong refused to comment, saying that he will give an explanation at the right time, according to See Hua Daily News.

In another related development, speculation was rife that SUPP’s defeat may open an opportunity for forces within Sarawak BN to form a new party to replace SUPP as the party that represents Chinese interests in the BN state government.

According to a speculative report by Sin Chew Daily today, it would be hard for BN to revive SUPP after its disastrous setback, thus a new Chinese-based party may get the blessing from the Sarawak BN leadership.

Figures to fill the power vacuum

The report named two prominent Sarawak politicians - SPDP treasurer Tiong King Sing and party-less former Pelagus assemblyperson Larry Sng, as the possible figures to fill the power vacuum.

It said that despite being Bintulu MP, Tiong has been active in other divisions like Miri, Sibu, Bintangor and Kuching. He was seen by the SUPP leadership as a ‘threat’ to the party.

Meanwhile Larry Sng, who was seen as Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud’s protege and appointed as assistant minister in the chief minister’s office in the previous state cabinet, also needs a platform to continue his political career after he was sacked by PRS in an internal power struggle.

Another indirect impact of SUPP’s defeat could be the speeding-up of the long-discussed merger of two Dayak-based parties - PRS and SPDP.

The merger would give a bigger representation to the Ibans in the state cabinet and improve their bargaining position to grab the deputy chief minister post previously allocated to SUPP.

Currently there are two deputy chief minister posts in the state cabinet. Traditionally one of them is allocated to the Iban representative in the largest and ruling party PBB which is now held by PBB deputy president Alfred Jabu, while the other is reserved for SUPP, which has been left vacant after the incumbent Chan lost his Piasau seat.

According to a NST report today, Chan denied that a faction within his party was establishing a new Chinese-based party to replace SUPP.

"No, these are just rumours. Everyone should just cool down and stop believing them," he said.