It looks like Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Dr George Chan, who has led the Sarawak United People's Party (Supp) since 1996, is not going to step down from his party post despite his 2006 promise to do so this year.

george chan hong nam Supp's highest policy-making body, the central working committee (CWC), at its meeting yesterday, unanimously agreed that Chan, 73, should continue to lead the party, although it was battered in the 2006 state elections and despite his promise to step down by 2008 to give make way for younger leaders.

The decision was announced in a short statement after the CWC meeting by party secretary-general Sim Kheng Hui, who was appointed senator after he failed to retain the Pending state seat in the May 2006 state elections.

sim kheng hui

Sim did not mention the motion submitted to the party headquarters ahead of its triennial delegates’ conference scheduled for Dec 14 and 15 by the Engkilili branch, headed by former state assemblyperson Toh Heng San, who has often been critical of Chan's leadership.

When he emerged from the CWC meeting, Chan told reporters the Engkilili motion asking him to keep his promise and step down was no longer an issue.

Chan joins the ranks of chief minister and PBB president Abdul Taib Mahmud and MIC president S Samy Vellu who have not shown any desire to step down from their party posts, which they have held for more than three decades.

The CWC's decision, however, has to be ratified and agreed upon by delegates to the triennial delegates’ conference.

Increasing calls to step down

Although the CWC has urged Chan to continue as party leader, the deputy chief minister has not indicated whether he will stay or go.

sarawak state seat 2006 breakdown 011208 In recent weeks and months, there have been calls from both within and outside the party for Chan to stand down to give way to a younger person to take over the helm of the party.

Among the names mentioned is that of organising secretary Peter Chin, the federal minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities, and deputy secretary-general Wong Soon Koh, state Second Finance Minister and Minister of Environment and Public Health.

Sim's name has also been mentioned.

He is a former state assistant minister, a post he held until his defeat at the hands of DAP's Violet Yong in the 2006 state elections when the opposition party took six state seats, all from Supp.

Political observers say the CWC's decision requesting Chan to continue as leader is probably to avoid a scramble for the top post and to avoid the party from being torn apart by internal squabbles.