Sarawak United People's Party (Supp) deputy president Law Hieng Ding today said he stands by what he said last week about party president Dr George Chan Hong Nam whom he claimed reneged on 'a gentleman's agreement' in not putting his name forward for a federal minister's post.

He told malaysiakini today that if Chan, who is Sarawak's deputy chief minister, wanted someone else to replace him in Kuala Lumpur he should have been 'brave enough' to tell him immediately after the March general election that he could not honour the agreement anymore.

"I could have agreed to abide by the decision," he added.

Law, the former Science, Environment and Technology Minister, was visibly upset after he was unceremoniously dropped when his name was not submitted by the party leadership for Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's new cabinet line-up.

Instead, the party top leadership recommended the then Deputy Minister of Housing and Local Government Peter Chin, the MP for Miri, for the single full minister allocation to the party.

According to Law, he had at least two meetings with the party leader on the matter of his candidacy prior to the general election.

Two meetings

The first was a one-to-one meeting on Feb 10, 2004 at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport VIP Lounge after his name was included in the official list of candidates from the party.

Law said prior to that he had heard his name had been removed from the official list. "I wanted to find out the thinking of the party leadership and to make some things clear".

At the meeting, he told Chan there was no point for him to stand as candidate if he was not going to be recommended for a federal post again.

According to him, he could serve his constituents more effectively if he were to continue as a minister.

"After serving for so long, being a minister is no big deal to me. If the party does not want me anymore, the leadership should be frank enough to tell me. But just don't say one thing, do another."

Chan assured him that the party would still recommend him for the post.

The second meeting was held in Chan's office in Kuching on March 10, 2004 which was also attended by Supp secretary-general Sim Kheng Hui and deputy secretary-general Wong Soon Koh.

At this meeting, Law said if elected he would serve as minister only for three years to give way to a younger blood.

Last Friday, an angry Law went public over his differences with the party president, accusing him of lying to the other party leaders and members of the party's central working committee (CWC).

Law had also given his version in a written form of what had transpired to CWC members.

He said today that he had yet to decide whether to attend the CWC meeting that Chan is going to chair this Friday in Kuching.

He said he had not thought of his next move. "At the moment I want to clear my work and take some rest".

Yong speaks out too

Meanwhile, Works Ministry Parliamenatry Secretary Yong Khoon Seng, who is also Supp vice- president, told malaysiakini that he took great exception to the remarks attributed to certain party leaders who had said he was not recommended for a deputy minister's post because he was not performing.

"I did well in the Ministry. You can ask S Samy Vellu (the minister). My attendance record in parliament is almost 100 percent. Every weekend, I go back to my constituency and help solve the problems among my constituents," Yong said.

Yong said he had served four terms, and had given way to another vice-president Peter Chin at the time when Dr Wong Soon Kai was still president.

He said that Chin deserved to be elevated from parliamentary secretary to deputy minister at that time as he had served longer as MP.

He said he was disappointed that he was by-passed this time for promotion to deputy minister.

Yong said the party should stick to traditional leadership and not allow one or two leaders to make important decisions.

Supp's next party elections will take place at the end of 2005.

The latest developments, according to most observers, are part of the early maneuvering ahead of the party elections.