The rebel group led by Sarawak United People's Party's Sibu branch chairperson Wong Soon Koh is prepared to abide by the declaration of the Registrar of Societies that the party's triennial general delegates' conference (TDC) held in December last year as valid.

NONE Asked whether his group was prepared to ‘forgive and forget', the faction's spokesperson, Dr Jerip Susil ( left ), said: "What is I say is what I mean. There are no two ways about it.

"But we have also received another letter from ROS, on April 3, that the investigation by ROS is not completed," he said.

Jerip was asked to comment on the letter dated March 26 that SUPP secretary-general Sim Hui Kian received from the ROS, stating that the election of the party's central committee was valid, unless its investigation showed otherwise.

Last week SUPP president Peter Chin read out the letter to members of the media.

Wong, who is Bawan Assan assemblyperson, and six other elected representatives including Jerip who is Bengoh assemblyperson, Ranum Mina (Opar), Francis Harden (Simanggang), Johnichal Rayong (Engkilili), Lee Kim Shin (Senadin) and Sibu MP Tiong Thai King and their supporters had boycotted the TDC on grounds that the party's branch elections were manipulated.

Wong, who was supposed to challenge Chin for the presidency, withdrew from the contest, causing a lop-sided victory for Chin and his faction.

sarawak election supp sibu dinner 120411 wong soon koh However, Wong ( right ) and his group wanted the ROS to investigate whether the elections of Chin and the CC were legal or otherwise.

Commenting on the letter, Jerip said his group was willing to abide by the decision of ROS.

"We are prepared to come together in the name of party unity. If indeed the secretary-general has received the letter stating the validity of the TDC, we humbly seek to be notified of this without further delay.

"We love the party and our concern is that the party is administered with transparency, fairness, a sense of justice, integrity and without any prejudice and suppression of anybody," Jerip said, pointing out that his side had also received a letter from ROS.

The letter dated April 3 stated that the investigation by ROS has not been completed, he added, and as such his group would abide by that letter.

'Our struggles are the same'

Jerip, who is also chairperson of SUPP Bengoh branch, said: "We want to remind everyone concerned that our struggles are the same, that is, to strengthen the party, to unite all and to work together for the benefit of all.

"However, we want to do it with the basic tenets of rule of law in the party. Until that happens, we are not willing to fight the meaningless fight among ourselves.

"Hence, we have refrained, and we even stay away from the party administration in such that we concentrate on our duties as elected representatives and as ministers in the state cabinet,

"Our duties as such reflect our desire to create a sense of fairness for all and to add a sense of belonging to the party," said Jerip, who is assistant minister of public health.

In welcoming Jerip's statement, a leader aligned with Chin's faction, Jonathan Krai, said it would be good if the two factions could be united to prepare for the coming general election.

Reminding Wong's faction of the saying, ‘united we stand, divided we fall', Jonathan said the seven parliamentary seats allocated to SUPP would be at stake and that six of these, which were Chinese majority constituencies, could fall to the Opposition if SUPP was disunited.

"Already two seats - Bandar Kuching and Sibu - are now in the hands of DAP. Capturing them back will be a Herculean task if we are not united," he stressed.

Jonathan said he did not wish the internal bickering, especially that between Wong, a former deputy secretary-general and former Dudong assemblyman Dr Soon Choon Teck that went on from 2006 to 2011, to recur during the coming election.

A lot of dirty linen was exposed to the public then and this contributed the public losing confidence in SUPP, he said.

In the Sarawak state election last year, SUPP lost 13 of the 19 seats it contested to the Opposition. It only won four Dayak majority seats and two Chinese-majority seats.

"This lesson we must learn," Jonathan added.