Wong Soon Koh, the chairman of the Sibu branch of the Sarawak United People's Party, will be referred to the party's disciplinary committee.

Several members of the rebel group led by him will also have to face the music.

"Their conduct and activities are considered detrimental to the party's interests," said Peter Chin, SUPP President after chairing an emergency central working committee meeting on Saturday which heard complaints against Wong and others by CC members.

Wong is the minister of local government and community development in the cabinet of Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud.

One of the allegations against Wong was that he had failed to consult and comply with the decisions and policies of party central and the branches concerned, in the course of discharging his duties.

This include the nomination of community leaders, council chairperson, councillors, political secretaries and other political appointees. There were also complaints regarding nominations for state and federal awards.

azlan Chin ( left ) said that CC had directed the complaints against Wong and the others to the party's disciplinary committee for investigation and action.

"We are still collecting evidence. Each complaint must be substantiated. It cannot be simply a complaint. We also need to see what the other complaints from the branches. They have two weeks to submit them to the disciplinary committee."

Chin said that the committee is made up of senior members of the party who are not involved in the administration of the party and who are not members of the CWC and CC.

Also likely to be hauled up for disciplinary action are Lee Foh Nun and his group for claiming that they are the elected branch committee of SUPP Kanowit branch.

Legally elected

Chin pointed out that Ho Beng Aik had been legally elected under the supervision by a member of Party Central, to be the chairman of the Kanowit branch.

"Lee and his group should cease claiming immediately that they are the elected branch committee of the SUPPP Kanowit branch," he said.

Asked to comment that the disciplinary action against the ‘rebels' were illegal, Chin, who is a lawyer by training, said that the action taken is being guided by Article 23 of the party constitution which requires that the central committee to meet at least once a year.

"Party Central received a letter from the Registrar of Societies (ROS) Malaysia dated March 26, 2012 stating that the current leadership which was duly elected during the 22nd Delegates' conference held on December 10 and 11, 2011 is valid and legal.

"Therefore it is the duty of the current party's central leadership to convene the central committee meeting and to discharge all its responsibilities as provided under the party constitution including the formation of the disciplinary committee," he said.

Moreover, the party cannot ignore the complaints from the branch leaders and members, he added.

Meanwhile, the rebel group comprising of six assemblymen, namely Wong (Bawang Assan), Dr Jerip (Bengoh), Ranum Mina (Opar), Frances Harden (Simanggang), Johnichal Rayong (Engkilili), Lee Kim Shin (Senadin) and Tiong Thai King, (MP Sibu), questioned the legality of the party in convening the CC meeting.

They argued that until such time that the ROS made a decision on the legitimacy of the present leadership, the party should not be making any major decisions.

In that regard the party president should not have convened a CC meeting.

"According to ROS' letter to both Wong and Chin (ref: JPPM/KSA: 95/2011 dated April 3, ROS is still investigating the party's election process in the triennial delegates' conference last December) after receiving complaints from some members of the party.

"Before there is an outcome on the investigation, Chin has neither authority to convene a CC meeting nor the authority to expel Wong or to make a decision with regards to pulling out from BN," they said in a statement.

They said that there were no grounds to expel Wong as he had been carrying out his duties as party leader in accordance with party constitution and dispensing his ministerial responsibilities according to the authority bestowed on him.

"The motion to expel Wong shows that Chin's camp does not have any respect for those supporting Wong. We have to remind Chin's camp that to expel Wong is to declare war on those on Wong's side.

"We have decided to sink and swim with Wong," they warned.