Two-term Opar assemblyperson Ranum anak Mina has his own reason for quitting Sarawak United People Party (SUPP), which he joined just before the 2006 state election.

It is to rid of SUPP’s influence in the Lundu District once and for all.

“It is the majority of the voters in my constituency of Opar for me to quit SUPP and join Parti Tenaga Rakyat Sarawak (Teras) so that we can get rid of SUPP’s influence.

“It has always been their intention to join a Dayak-based party, which is more meaningful than to be members of a Chinese-based party like SUPP,” Ranun ( left ) told Malaysiakini. “They are not racists, but being practical.”

Together with Bengoh assemblyperson Jerip Susil, Engkilili assemblyperson Johnichal Rayong and former SUPP deputy secretary-general and Minister for Local Government and Community Development Wong Soon Koh, Ranum quit SUPP on May 15 and joined Teras.

Opar has 6,716 Bidayuh voters (83%), besides 498 Iban voters and 452 Chinese voters.

Opar was created as a new constituency in 2006, made out of the Lundu constituency, which was split to form another constituency, Tanjung Datu.

Even before the formation of Malaysia, Lundu and Bengoh had always been under the control of SUPP under the local government elections.

When SUPP joined the Sarawak coalition government in 1970, and later the BN, the Lundu seat had always been allocated to SUPP by virtue of a BN agreement.

The same fate befell on the Bengoh and Engkilili seats, where voters in these two constituencies are said to have long desired to join a Dayak-based party, but with no opportunity to do so.

SUPP losing its influence

SUPP lost its influence in Opar, Bengoh and Engkilili long ago. For instance, in the 1983 Sarawak election, SUPP candidate William Tanyuh lost to an independent candidate Wilfred Nissom.

In Engkilili, SUPP lost twice – to a candidate from Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak in the 1987 state election and to a Sarawak National Party candidate in 2006.

The voters in SUPP-controlled  constituencies claim that SUPP has done little in terms of policy to help the Bidayuh and Iban communities, and instead concentrating its efforts to sustain its waning Chinese support and trying to win back the seats it has lost.

"Now, with so many members resigning from SUPP following its leadership crisis, this is the opportunity for us to quit SUPP and join Teras, and our actions are fully supported by our voters,” Ranum said.

Teras has now become the second largest party in Sarawak, after Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), with 10 assemblypersons and one MP.

Former SPDP President William Mawan Ikom ( left ), who is the Pakan assemblyperson and MP for Saratok and five assemblypersons, quit their respective parties and joined the newly-formed Teras.

They five are Peter Nansian (Tasik Biru), Sylvester Entri (Marudi), Paulus Gumbang (Batu Danau),  Rosey Yunus (Bekenu) and George Lagong (Pelagus).

As the second largest party with representatives in the Sarawak state assembly after Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), Ranum said, Teras cannot be ignored, and he went on to express hope that it could do much to help the people in his constituency.

As one political observer asked: “Now the big question facing SUPP is whether SUPP can retain the Opar, Bengoh and Engkilili seats even if these are given to it under the BN agreement and understanding?

“It is interesting to note how SUPP will fare in the coming Sarawak election,” he said.

In the last state election, SUPP lost 13 out of the 19 seats it contested. It won in the four Dayak-majority seats of Opar, Bengoh, Engkilili and Simanggang, besides two Chinese-majority seats.