New Cabinet line-up fair and ‘satisfactory’, says SUPP veep

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KUCHING: The number of SUPP members in the new State Cabinet line-up can still be considered ‘satisfactory’, despite the fact that the quota is lower than that expected by the party.

Datuk Yong Khoon Seng

SUPP vice president Datuk Yong Khoon Seng said this was because the party’s share of the pie is almost equivalent to
those given to PRS and SPDP.

“SUPP has one full minister and three assistant ministers…and it is almost similar to SPDP and PRS’s. Personally, I think the line-up is fair.

“Although the numbers we have now is lower than our expected quota, I would still consider it satisfactory because we have one assistant minister, Dr Jerip (Susil), a Bidayuh man,” he said when met by reporters at a motivational talk for students at Lun Bawang Association headquarters yesterday.

When asked to comment on the absence of a deputy chief minister post for SUPP, Yong said that it is the chief minister’s prerogative to decide on the matter.

The posts held by SUPP members in the new Cabinet line-up are as follows: Second Minister of Finance and Minister of Local Government and Community Development by Bawang Assan assemblyman Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, Assistant Minister of Sports and Assistant Minister of Communication (Senadin assemblyman Datuk Lee Kim Shin), Assistant Minister of Rural Development and Assistant Minister of Housing (Simanggang assemblyman Datuk Francis Harden) and Assistant Minister of Public Health (Bengoh assemblyman Dr Jerip Susil).

Asked whether SUPP was “sensitive enough” to the people’s needs, Yong replied: “If I say that SUPP is sensitive, people will say it is wrong. If I say
SUPP is not sensitive, people will also say that it is wrong.

“What I would say is that there is still room for improvements to be more sensitive towards the people’s needs,” he answered.