Baru Bian
KUCHING: Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s (PKR) door is open anytime former Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) veteran politician Wong Ching Yong thinks that the opposition party is the right platform for him.
State PKR liaison chief Baru Bian said the party welcomes anyone and everyone who believes in its struggle of “covering all aspects of Malaysian rights and races”.
Describing Wong’s announcement to quit SUPP on New Year’s Day as “very interesting”, Baru said he respects any politicians who adhere to their principles and pursue their dreams at all costs.
“I think that (Wong’s resignation) is very interesting although I have not read about this in the papers. There must be a valid reason (for him) to leave SUPP.
“I mean if it is based on policy matters, based on principles that he believes in, then I think that is something to be lauded and praised,” he told journalists when asked to respond to speculations that Wong might consider joining other political parties such as PKR.
On the first day of 2010, Wong said he had lost every confidence in the central party leadership for its inconsistency, lack of sincerity and the will to reform SUPP.
He said he had submitted his resignation letter to the party central and it was up to them to deal with it.
“I do not mind playing the role of a small cog if SUPP party central has the will, courage and sincerity to implement the party reformation as promised by party leaders many, many times.
Unfortunately, the party central leaders just talk and do not walk the talk.”
Wong said if he continued to cling to SUPP it would only increase his sorrow.
“My heart for the party is dead, and truly, if the party central still refuses to carry out reform, it will be the end of the road for the party,” he added.
Baru, meanwhile, said if the now partyless man sees common grounds in PKR he is most welcome to join the party.
“I have not been conveyed the message (that Wong intended to oin PKR) but again, if it is because of the attraction of the policies
that PKR is multi-racial and multi-religious, covering all aspects of Malaysian rights and races, and I think we welcome that kind of people.”
Asked whether he knew Wong personally, Baru responded: “I don’t think so.”
He added: “I was away forChristmas holiday, just came back on December 31 (2009).
So I may have been sort of blackout in news.”
Wong joined SUPP in 1985 and became an active member under the then president Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr Wong Soon Kai.
Wong is said to have built good relationship with 28 branches in the central region and that manymembers from these branches were appealing to him toreconsider his decision to leave the party.