Fresh trouble appears to be brewing again within the Chinese-based Sarawak United People's Party (Supp) after a senior party leader's strongly-worded statement clearly directed at the top leadership at a party conference in Kuching yesterday.

Addressing delegates from 25 party branches at the party's central committee (CC) annual meeting, Supp deputy president Law Hieng Ding gave what another party leader described as 'a frank and honest view' about the present situation in the party.

From a prepared statement, Law yesterday spoke of his grouses, about his worries and concerns for the party's future, and the need to strengthen the party and its image.

Although he did not say it, in bringing up the image issue Law is believed to have alluded to what several party leaders present said is the growing unhappiness that has come with the close identification of its top leaders with certain 'unpopular policies' of the state government 'and not speaking out at various forums.'

He, however, fell short of calling for the resignation of party president Dr George Chan.

The party's No 2 blamed the party's defeat in Bandar Kuching in the March parliamentary elections and the reduction of the party's full ministerial representation at the state level from three to two squarely on the party's top leadership.

His comments were said to have taken the delegates by surprise, some with anger and disappointment, as it is clear that Law was still unhappy over 'unglorious exit' in March this year when the party leadership did not recommend him for re-appointment as a federal minister.

Law retained his Sarikei parliamentary seat but was not re-appointed federal minister. He held the post of Minister of Science, Technology and Environment for three terms. Before that, Law had served in the ministry as parliamentary secretary and deputy minister since the late 70's.

Many issues of concern

At that time, he pointed a finger at Dr George Chan, who is one of Sarawak's two deputy chief ministers, blaming him (Chan) for reneging on a promise.

Contacted today, Law told malaysiakini there are many issues of concern to party members and the community that the party should be addressing and are not doing such as recruitment and promotions in the state civil service and the issue of land leases in urban centres.

"Unless we do something, the party is going to vanish," he said, expressing the concern of many party colleagues on how the electorate would react to the party's candidates in the next state elections, expected at the end of 2006 or earlier.

A Supp central working committee (CWC) member who asked not to be identified described Law's views 'as frank and honest'.

"Everybody is waiting for the party's elections (expected to be held in December 2005)," he added.

Talk is that unless he steps down willingly there could be a challenge to Chan's leadership next year.

Limiting terms

The party leadership also issued a 'gag' order yesterday in forbidding party leaders from raising internal party problems in public and to take the matter up only within the confines of party meetings. Copies of Law's text at yesterday's meeting slipped into the hands of some local reporters, but it has not been given any newspaper space.

Supp, a member of the state's three-party ruling coalition, was the only party to have conceded a seat in the last parliamentary elections. Bandar Kuching, in the Chinese heartland of the state capital city, was lost to the DAP.

Yesterday's meeting also endorsed a proposal to limit the number of terms of party leaders in holding government positions such as ministers, deputy ministers and parliamentary secretaries.

The decision will not affect immediately the present positions of the party president and other key leaders as the ruling takes effect only from yesterday.

A party president cannot now serve more than three consecutive terms or nine years and if he is a full minister, not more than three terms or 15 years.