Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) assistant publicity secretary Alfred Yap Chin Loi is strongly tipped to replace Senator Sim Kheng Hui as the party secretary-general.

NONE Sim ( left ) had remained adamant not to defend his post at the party’s triennial delegates conference (TDC) slated to take place at the end of this year.

He said he wanted to resign soon after the April 16 state election to take responsibility for the part’s poor, but agreed to stay on until the TDC at the insistence of the central working committee.

Sim, who lost his Pending state seat in the 2006 state election, has been the secretary-general since 1997, taking over from George Chan who had become the party president.

Asked by reporters at the party’s 52nd anniversary yesterday, Yap said:”It is best to leave the successor issue to the members to decide. If they want me or someone else, then it is their right.”

It is learnt that party grassroots leaders from Padungan, Pending, Kota Sentosa, Batu Lintang and Batu Kawah are behind moves for Yap to take over from Sim.

“We believe he has no problem securing the support of other branch leaders, especially from Miri, Sarikei and Sri Aman, “ a close friend of Yap said.

chong chieng jen interview 141108 01 Yap, who lost to Sarawak DAP secretary Chong Chieng Jen ( left ) in the 2006 and this year’s state election, is said to have the support of leaders such as Chan, Sim and Youth leader Sih Hua Tong.

Yap has not publicly stated that he is eyeing the post, but his supporters have purportedly been campaigning quietly for him.

Though not an elected representative, Yap is said to have strong grassroots support.

He is also tipped to replace Sim as a senator. Sim’s second term as the senator expires at the end of the year.

“His appointment as the senator will put him in a strong position to take over as the secretary-general,” his close friend said.

Meanwhile, treasurer-general David Teng Lung Chi and vice-president Peter Chin Fah Kui have been mentioned as the potential successors to Chan as party president.

NONE Chan ( right ), a former deputy chief minister, had repeatedly stated that he would also be stepping down at the TDC.

Like Sim, he had tendered his resignation from his respective party post, but was told by the CWC to hang on until the TDC.

Chan lost in Piasau to a DAP greenhorn, Ling Sie Kiong.

It is believed that 28 party branches are behind Teng - who lost in Repok to the DAP’s Wong Hua Seh in the state elections - to be the next president.

He is also said to have the support of the financially-strong Foochow groups from Sibu and Sarikei and the Hokkien group from Sri Aman.

Chin, however, has the support of Miri leaders, including Chan, and Kuching leaders, such as Sim.

peter chin Chin has an advantage over Teng as he is a member of the federal cabinet, being the minister of energy, green technology and water.

Despite the support and advantage, Chin ( right ) has made it quite clear that he is not interested to replace Chan.

Teng holds no government post.

Although Teng’s name was being mentioned as one of the five leaders to step down from their posts at the TDC, he, has not made public his stand.

In fact, he was reported to have been upset when Chan mentioned him as being among the five.

Wong Soon Koh, earlier tipped to replace Chan, is also not interested.

In fact, he sees this as his last term as state assemblyperson for Bawang Assan and will call it quits when the term ends.

Wong Soon Koh, SUPP deputy secretary, heads a rival group that had called on Chan to quit soon after the 2006 state elections.

It is not likely that Dr Sim Hui Kian, former head of the heart centre of the Sarawak General Hospital, will be the next party president despite Chan’s earlier announcement on the matter.

Chan is said to preferr Sim to replace him, but other party leaders are against it, stating that Sim lacks political experience.