Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) organising secretary Peter Chin has refused to be dragged into the latest speculation that he would contest the party president's post during their

Triennial Delegates Conference (TDC) in December.

peter chin Speaking to reporters in Miri today, he said that he would not want to say anything now on the speculation until his meeting with leaders of the party branches from Sarawak's southern region which has been scheduled to be held tomorrow in Kuching.

"I will only talk about it after the meeting (with the branch leaders). I don't want to pre-empt anything," he said.

Chin, who is the Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister and Miri member of parliament, also declined to divulge the agenda for the upcoming meeting by saying it was just to "fulfill the wishes" of party members who wanted to meet him.

"Being the party organising secretary, it is an ordinary thing for me to respond positively to any requests from the party members who wanted me to hear their views," he added.

Possible three-cornered fight                            

The inclusion of Chin's name as a possible contender had led to the speculation that the race for the party's top post had now become a three-cornered affair which pitted him against deputy secretary-general Wong Soon Koh and treasurer-general David Teng.

NONE Wong ( right ), who is the state local government and community development minister and Bawang Assan state assemblyman, had said last week that he was prepared to go for the president's post after having the support from the leaders and members of the party's northern, southern and central branches.

Teng, who is the former Repok state assemblyman, meanwhile, was strongly-tipped to run for the post on the backdrop of substantial support from party members.

SUPP president Dr George Chan Hong Nam who was defeated by DAP candidate Ling Sie Kiong for the Piasau constituency in the April state election, had indicated that he would step down at the coming TDC.

SUPP, one of the four BN component parties in Sarawak, had fared badly in the last state election when they lost in 13 of the 19 seats the party contested, leading to calls for a new leadership to steer the party.

- Bernama