The Sarawak United People's party (SUPP) leadership today bowed to the wishes of its youth wing which has demanded a special delegates conference to debate several important issues concerning the party's future.

The party agreed unanimously to support its youth chief Alan Sim's motion to hold the special delegates conference on Dec 10, a day after the annual central committee meeting, in Kuching.

Party president Dr George Chan ( right ) told reporters after chairing a 25-member central working committee (CWC) meeting this afternoon that the decision was made "for the sake of our people and party members."

Sim's motion was seconded by party's deputy president Law Hieng Ding, a former federal minister.

Chan also said that a 11-member committee headed by him would meet to discuss and recommend issues to be tabled at the special delegates conference which requires 40 days' notice before it can be held.

The party's 34 branches from throughout Sarawak will send delegates to the conference, which is expected to debate issues such as the party's loss of eight seats in the last state elections as well as the loss of the party's mayor post for Kuching City South and the loss of the chairmanship of Sibu Rural District Council.

Today's CWC meeting averted what could have been a showdown among the leadership ranks after Chan's nemesis Law - who was unceremoniously dropped as federal minister after the last parliamentary elections on Chan's recommendation - announced yesterday he would second Sim's motion if there was no other seconder.

Secret ballot proposed

Observers said Chan was apparently not prepared to take the risk and allow a vote to be taken either by a show of hands or by secret ballot as this could bring the split within the party into the open.

The party president and his supporters were said to have agreed earlier that they would go as far as holding a central committee meeting but not an extraordinary general meeting, as requested by some members, and that any voting on the motion would follow the tradition in the party of a show of hands rather by secret ballot.

Law ( left ) told malaysiakini when he came out briefly during the meeting that he would insist on a secret ballot so that no one would be penalised in any way if they voted for the motion.

It is reliably learnt that there were heated exchanges during the meeting, and that Chan and his supporters sensed the mood of the majority concerning the motion.

It was even suggested that if the motion was voted on and carried, it could represent a vote of no confidence in the top leadership, especially after the youth wing had initially called for changes to the top leadership.