Despite strong denials by Wong Soon Koh and his colleague Dr Jerip Susil, there are strong indications in Sarawak that Wong is linked to the formation of United Peoples' Party (UPP), the registration of which is said to have been approved by the Registrar of Societies (ROS).

Local papers in the state are flooded with speculation that UPP was formed by a group of Chinese businessmen in anticipation of the deregistration of the Sarawak United People's Party by the ROS.

NONE Several political blogs also claimed that UPP is being registered to replace SUPP in the event that SUPP is deregistered.

ROS has ordered the party to explain why it should not be deregistered after it was found out that the SUPP branch elections were conducted in November 2011, in breach of its constitution.

The finding by ROS followed complaints from Wong ( left ), who is SUPP Sibu branch chairperson, and five other state assemblymen that Peter Chin had been illegally elected as president of the party.

The other five assemblypersons are Jerip (Bengoh), Ranom Mina (Opar), Francis Harden (Simanggang), Johnichal Rayong (Engkilili) and Lee Kim Shin (Senadin).

There is also speculation that the six are also linked to the formation of Parti Bumi Kenyalang by a group of Dayaks and Chinese.

"None is true. We are waiting for the decision of the Registrar of Societies on the fate of Sarawak United People's Party," said Jerip, who is also SUPP Bengoh branch chairperson.

Wong: In have nothing to do with UPP

Meanwhile, Wong vehemently denied that the formation of UPP has anything to do with his group, and even called on those linking UPP to his group to check with the ROS.

"Nothing is secretive about it. You can check with the ROS who are behind the formation of UPP. The talk is a mere speculation," he said to reporters.

"We have no knowledge of UPP's formation. We will make our move when the ROS decision is relayed to us. For the time being, we will wait."

Wong's faction and Chin and his central working committee (CWC) have been at loggerheads with one another since the SUPP triennial general meeting in December 2011, which Wong and his group boycotted after claiming that 14 branch elections for delegates to the TGM had been manipulated.

The delegates elected 132 members to the party's central committee, which in turn elected Chin as president.

Several attempts to reconcile the two factions failed, with bickering between them only affecting party unity but also causing SUPP to lose six out of the seven parliamentary seats it contested.

Commenting on the latest political development, a former SUPP leader said: "Even if SUPP is not deregistered, there is no likelihood that the six assemblypersons will return to the party.

"The party has already issued a show-cause letter to Wong as to why action should not be taken against him after he appointed community leaders, political secretaries and other government appointees without consulting the party."

Added the former SUPP leader who did not wish to be named: "That is a very serious allegation against Wong, who is also a senior minister in the state cabinet. So the formation of UPP is meant to accommodate them, at a later state."