The battle within SUPP as polls loom

Chris Reubens

Monday, 18 October 2010 05:51

ANALYSIS The Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) will be fielding candidates for its 19 seats again if nothing is changed at the last minute.

Almost every candidate is in place except for Padungan and Meradong.

Padungan, a predominantly Chinese area, is now in the Opposition orbit when SUPP's Lily Yong lost to PKR's Dominque Ng in the last state election in 2006.

In September 2001, Lily beat DAP Chong Chieng Jen in a straight fight. Both were contesting for the first time in Padungan then.

Strangely Padungan is a ‘hot’ seat to both the BN and the Opposition. The quarrels between PKR's Dominque and DAP's Chong stemmed from the Padungan seat as both claimed that it should rightfully go to his party.

Kuching branch chairperson Lily is known to be a conniving politician. She fought hard to be nominated as a candidate in Padungan in 2001 when she was the Sarawak SUPP Women chief.

Using her feminine approach and looks, Lily, with the strong support of the women branches then, made it known that SUPP had not fielded a woman candidate for a long time. She was almost that close to call it a male chauvinist party. It was believed that this was one of her strategies which worked to gain sympathy from the public in general, especially women!

It is common knowledge that SUPP president, Dr George Chan, has a soft spot for her. George, forever a gentleman politician, is known to bend to her many whims. A party insider said she had him twisted round her little finger. “Maybe, not so now,” he hastily added.

Although SUPP lost heavily in the last state election, hers is the only seat that was lost to PKR. The others are to DAP in Sentosa, Pending, Batu Lintang, Kidurong, Bukit Asset. Engkilili lost to SNAP’s Johnicol Rayong, who later turned Independent and subsequently joined SUPP. Although it was not officially announced that he would be accepted, Johnicol is already considered one of the SUPP boys.

Despite her loss, Lily is said to be determined to stand again this time. An insider said she was not wanted by the ‘top boss’. Her Kuching branch also has the highest turnover of committee members who come and go in droves. But it was also her Kuching branch that has endorsed her last year and again recently to be the candidate.

A SUPP senior cadre said Lily, aged 60, has surrounded herself with a lot of members either older than her and a lot of ‘green horns’. At the end of the day, they are either too old or too young to stand, thus making her the rightful choice.

Another party leader said Lily, who is full of charms and being a woman, did help her to get her own ways. To be fair, he said, this time, she has told party leaders that if they could get someone better and more experience than her, she would be willing to give way.

She has made known her own choice, the Youth chairman in her branch, Bong Lian Huan, 31, who is also a councillor in MBKS. Bong, who is a businessman, "will be used as a sacrificial lamb as he is too green in politics", according to a party leader. When Bong's name was brought up in meetings recently, senior party leaders were asking each other who he is.

It came as no surprise that there were other names have been mentioned to stand in Padungan - Former PRS member, Larry S’ng, now a minister without a party; Wee Hong Seng, owner of a Chinese press, International Times, cum businessman; Wee Kok Tiong who stood as a candidate in Kuching parliamentary seat in 2004 and lost to DAP's Chong Chieng Jen; and Mayor James Chan who does not belong to any party and who, at one time, was a ‘hot’ candidate, as he was said to be well liked by Stutong hawkers.

At the end of the day, a party leader, albeit with a smirk, said, “Lily is really the right choice.”

Meradong is another seat where a candidate has yet to be chosen. In the last state election, DAP's Ting Tze Hui beat SUPP's Wong Zee Yong and independent candidates, Jumat ak Jawak, Wong Kung Kuang and David Tiong Chiong Chu.

There have been talks that Thomas Hii King Hiong would be picked again. Hii won the seat for three consecutive terms from 1983 to 1996 before losing to independent Yii Chii Lek.

Hii, when contacted by Malaysian Mirror, said he was ever ready to stand if picked.

"They picked a young girl before and she lost heavily," he said. "Meradong is a small town with old fashion voters. They wanted experienced people."

Meanwhile, other candidates mentioned are Pending heart specialist Dr. Sim Kui Han, Batu Lintang Central Youth chief Sih Hua Tong, Bukit Asset Chieng Boon Tong, Kidurong lawyer Henry Ling.

Kota Sentosa Alfred Yap (who lost in the last election to Chong Chieng Jen) will still stand and Engkilili is expected to see an Independent turned SUPP member - Johnicol Rayong.

Incumbents included Opar Ranum anak Mina, Assistant Minister Tan Joo Phoi, Bengoh Dr. Jerip Susil, Simanggang Francis Harden ak Hollis, Repok Assistant Minister, David Teng, Dudong Assistant Minister Dr. Soon Choon Teck, Bawang Assam Wong Soon Koh, Palawan Vincent Goh, Senadin Assistant Minister Lee Kim Shim, Pujut Andy Chia and Piasau Dr George Chan.