Don’t expect equality in GPS as PBB is boss, Parti Bumi Kenyalang tells SUPP

KUCHING, Dec 4 — Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) should not expect any equality and fairness among the four parties of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) with Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB) playing the dominant role, Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) president Voon Lee Shan said today.

He said this has been proven when SUPP, Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) have little say in choosing their own candidates to contest under the GPS logo in the state election.

“Now, SUPP has expressed shock not being given to defend its Dudong seat. Chief Minister Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg has a big say in choosing candidates and SUPP had been elbowed out,” Voon said when commenting to SUPP president Datuk Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian’s statement early today.

“This shows the chief minister has very little respect for SUPP. Dr Sim had not been able to defend the interest of SUPP,” he said.

He said the giving away SUPP’s stronghold of Dudong to PDP president Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing will set a very dangerous precedent in GPS and SUPP should know by now PBB is a component party that controls all political parties in GPS,” he added.

He said it is time now for SUPP’s supporters and members to rethink their struggles in GPS, adding that they should not be at the receiving end at this crucial time and should leave the GPS coalition to support the independence movement.

Separately, Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) president Datuk Sri Wong Soon Koh commented that SUPP gave up Dudong to PDP and Mambong to PBB with barely a whimper.

“This shows how weak and ineffective SUPP has become. Once a champion of the Chinese, it is now a toothless puppy that is treated with dismissive disdain by its master, PBB.

“Even its partner PDP, widely regarded as a Dayak-based party, in GPS dares to step in and snatch away a traditional SUPP seat in a Chinese area,” Wong said.

“If SUPP is looked down upon by its own partners, and it is so weak that it cannot even stand up for itself to defend its meagre allocation of seats in GPS, then how can SUPP presume to be able to stand up for the people of Sarawak?” he asked.

He said the people of Sarawak need a strong champion of their rights, not a party that gets kicked by its partners and meekly bows its head.

“The pathetic response by SUPP to the deprivation of its two seats will be the death knell for SUPP,” Wong, who resigned from SUPP to form PSB, said in a statement.

This morning, Dr Sim told reporters that he was shocked and emotional when Tiong, who is also Bintulu MP, was picked by GPS to contest in Dudong in the state election.

He said it was not supposed to be Tiong, but things changed within the last 24 hours before the names list of all GPS candidates was confirmed yesterday.

Dr Sim, who is also the state Local Government and Housing Minister, said the candidate to contest in Dudong was supposed to be from SUPP and he had worked hard in the constituency as a preparation to be picked as a candidate.

Dudong has always been a traditional SUPP seat and in the 2016 state election, it was won by Datuk Tiong Thai King who resigned from SUPP to join PSB.

Mambong, another SUPP seat, is to be contested by Datuk Dr Jerip Susil, who is now a PBB member, in the state election.

He is formerly a SUPP member.