A former senior Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) leader, who was previously a member of parliament, mayor and state assembly speaker, has put his Chinese-based party in a fix with an attempted suicide ahead of next month's election.

Once popular politician Song Swee Guan, who is in his mid-60s, was declared a bankrupt three years ago after failing to pay off a huge debt and apparently his problems did not end there.

According to foe-turned-friend Dominique Ng, a lawyer cum politician from the opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Song's troubles had led to a shocked attempt to take his own life on Friday by drinking a bottle of disinfectant.

Ng said he met the former SUPP leader after he was discharged from hospital yesterday.

"He was weak and had difficulty walking but in spite of that he came to the door to greet me," said Ng whom Song had consulted as a lawyer when he ran into legal problems involving his debts.

Ng, who is also PKR legal advisor, had contested and lost to Song three times in previous elections. Song, standing on the BN-SUPP ticket, had never lost an election in all his outings for either state and parliamentary seats.

Ng described the former state assembly speaker as "a bitter man" who had told him on a number of occasions that he was ashamed to admit he had suddenly become "a social leper".

Song, a bachelor, had also suffered a great trauma following the death of his mother who was very close to him.

Popular figure in Kuching

For weeks, there had been rumours that because of what has been perceived as the lack of concern shown by SUPP for his plight, Song would turn to the opposition and campaign for them in the May 20 state election.

Song, who is a popular figure in Kuching, may hurt SUPP's electoral changes in the state capital.

Asked to comment on the talks of Song switching his allegience, Ng said: "I would not confirm nor deny this."

Ng nevertheless said that Song had spoke of his great concern for SUPP and Sarawak politics.

"But he did tell me not to worry about him and instead to concentrate on the election campaign as he wants to see me win," added Ng, who will be the PKR candidate for Padungan in Kuching, expected to be a straight fight with incumbent BN-SUPP's Lily Yong Lee Lee.

Padungan is a Chinese-majority state seat in the heart of Kuching, which together with Pending come under the Bandar Kuching parliamentary constituency.

In 1995, Song was the first SUPP leader to dislodge two-term DAP MP Sim Kwang Yang from Bandar Kuching. However, DAP reclaimed the parliamentary seat in the 2004 general elections.

News of Song's suicide attempt may hurt SUPP electoral chances against the opposition in the battle for Chinese Malaysian votes.

Media told to ignore news

Meanwhile, SUPP secretary-general and state assistant minister Sim Kheng Hui told malaysiakini that he and Yong had visited Song, but declined to comment on the suicide attempt.

"He was suffering from high blood pressure and needed to be admitted to hospital," said Sim.

He said that Song had offered to help the party if he was still needed in any way.

According to Ng, Song was a shade of his former self when he saw him yesterday.

"He looked so weak and quite unlike the Song Swee Guan I used to meet even when we were political foes."

Reports say Song is staying with a friend in Sadong Jaya outside of Kuching. "He will be there for at least two weeks to try and recover," according to a family friend.

Ng said that while the former Supp leader had landed himself in dire financial straits, Song was a rare politician as he was untainted with any hint of corruption.

"I regard him as the best Chinese Malaysian mayor so far in Malaysia," he said, referring to the many terms Song had served as the Datuk Bandar of Kuching City South.

"Song told me he still owes a few hundred thousand ringgit and perhaps SUPP should lift a finger to help settle that," he added.

SUPP leaders have been embarrassed by Song's suicide attempt and the Chinese media were told not to publish the news.

"The party is obviously worried if they are seen as not doing anything to help Song, there may be a backlash, especially in Kuching, against the party, with the opposition clearly intent on capitalising on the issue," according to many political observers.

Ng, however, denied such intention, saying that he and Song, despite they being political foes before, remain "good friends".