Joseph Tawie | May 28, 2011 Free Malaysia Today
After thumbing its nose at the Taib government, party makes an about turn and decides it needs its two candidates in the state cabinet
KUCHING: The Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) has made a 360 degree turn. Last month, after its poor election showing, it said it wanted nothing to do with Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud’s government.
The Central Working Committee (CWC), at a meeting last month, decided not to recommend any of SUPP’s elected representative to serve in the cabinet of Taib Mahmud after the party’s dismal showing in the election.
That decision nearly tore the party apart. But at today’s CWC meeting, it unanimously agreed that Wong Soon Koh and Lee Kim Shin should represent the party and the Chinese community in the new cabinet of Abdul Taib Mahmud.
Wong and Lee are the only Chinese who were re-elected to their constituencies of Bawang Assan and Senadin respectively.
Thirteen other Chinese candidates lost in the recently concluded election. However, SUPP’s four Dayak candidates were all returned.
“The CWC members were unanimous in their decision that the two to represent the party and the Chinese community in the cabinet,” said SUPP president George Chan.
“If we are in BN, we must have representatives in the BN government,” he said.
Chan said that SUPP will definitely remain in the BN. The party has agreed to make “sweeping and major” changes to the party’s set up, including in all branches, youth and women wings.
“We agreed to revamp and get new leaders, even at the branch level.
The top leaders have decided not to seek re-election at the triennial delegates conference at the end of the year.
“We’ll conduct roadshows and explain to branch leaders the position of the party and at the same time to get new leaders to help run the party,” he said.
He said that all the CWC members will go to the ground and explain to members.