Yesterday was the first time in the 47-year history of Sarawak United People's Party (Supp) that a no-confidence motion has been moved against a party president.

And Dr George Chan is the one with the unenviable distinction of being the president to create that history.

Although Chan eventually survived the no-confidence motion by disallowing it at yesterday's meeting, enough damage has been done to the office of the Supp presidency and to Chan himself personally.

The motion was proposed earlier at the central working committee (CWC) meeting which started at 5pm in Kuching by deputy president Law Hieng Ding and seconded by CWC member Daniel Ngieng, the former state assemblyperson for Bukit Assek and deputy chairperson of Sibu Municipal Council .

Almost immediately, Chan ruled it out of place for discussion and debate within the ambit of the party's 25-member CWC.

According to a source, if a vote had been taken on the motion it could have meant a defeat for Chan, who has been party president since 1997 and one of Sarawak's two deputy chief ministers, and probably forced him to step down as party president.

After Chan said he would not accept the motion, there were heated arguments between supporters of the motion and their opponents.

Law, who was re-elected Sarikei Member of Parliament in the last parliamentary election but not re-appointed to the Federal Cabinet with the party's organising secretary Peter Chin promoted to full minister as replacement, has accused the party chief of reneging on his promises to him and many others in the party.

He and his supporters insisted on the no-confidence motion on the party president to be taken by secret ballot and when it became obvious after a long and heated argument well into the night that there was not going to be any vote taken, he walked out in disgust.

Leaving the party headquarters followed by a group of reporters, he said he saw no point in staying on at the meeting when the party president was not prepared for a vote on the issue.

'Party needs new image'

He said he had listed at least six reasons, including the president's indecisiveness, lack of collective responsibility, failure to keep his many promises to him and many others in the party, for demanding the president's resignation.

Law said, "I am doing this to save the party. The party needs a new image."

He blamed Chan largely for the party's dismal performance in the last state elections where it lost eight seats, nearly all to DAP.

Law said that had a vote on the motion taken showed the majority supported Chan, then he (Chan) should continue to lead the party, but if the majority did not want him then he (Chan) should step down from his post.

He added that he was even prepared to step down too as deputy president.

But most observers said Chan could not risk a vote as it could turn against him.

Later, at a midnight press conference, Chan told reporters that he had overuled Law's motion as it did not fall within the ambit of the functions of the CWC which, as stipulated in the constitution, is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the party.

However, he added, the question of the no-confidence motion could be raised at the second-tier or level committee, namely the 168-member central committee (CC) whose members are directly elected at the triennial delegates conference.

The motion could be discussed at the CC which meets annually and this year's meeting is scheduled on Dec 9, a day before the special delegates conference which has been determined to discuss various issues of crucial importance to the party.

The CC could then make the recommendation for whatever action be taken at the triennial delegates conference (TDC) which itself will be held in 2007, he added.