SERIAN: There should be no contest for the top posts during SUPP’s Triennial Delegates Conference (TDC) which is scheduled to be held on Dec 9 to 11, said SUPP assistant secretary-general Datuk Richard Riot Jaem.
The Deputy Foreign Minister and SUPP Serian branch chairman stressed that all the top posts “should be by consensus” to avert a party split.
“To me, (the new leadership) should be a combination of veteran leaders and young bloods. It is practical for a Chinese who is holding a post in the government to lead the party,” he said.
Despite so, he declined to openly pledge support for deputy secretary-general Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, also Senior Minister (Local Government and Community Development), who had declared his interest to succeed Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan as party president.
Riot, who is also Serian MP, asserted that the branch should not “over-commit” itself for fear that further comments might lead to another spate of internal crisis likened to that in 2006.
“We just wait until maybe a few days before the TDC itself. We do not want a split and if there is a contest, it will definitely bring further split that we cannot afford. The victim will be SUPP,” he told reporters after chairing a branch meeting here yesterday.
Riot was tight-lipped when pressed whether Wong fit his profile – a Chinese who is in the government – for the next president.
“Our stand is that we do not want to see any contest. In between October and November, anything can happen. I prefer to reserve my comment.” Although he did not want to see contest for party top posts, he said everyone had the democratic right to stand.
“I will not condemn nor condone (if another SUPP leader states interest in the presidential election). Our stand is that we must not be further split,” he added.
Whether he would seek a higher post in the party, Riot said: “I am very happy with being an assistant secretary-general, a deputy minister and the chairman of Serian branch.”
He was quick to add: “If given the chance to hold a higher post, why not? But I will leave it to party members to decide whether I should go up or remain.” For the TDC, Serian branch has 11 delegates who are eligible to vote in the party election.