Fire breaks out at SUPP HQ

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CHARRED: The completely destroyed meeting room.

KUCHING: A fire at the SUPP headquarters here early this morning caused extensive damage to the party’s meeting room located at the back of the building.

OUT OF BOUNDS: Policemen setting up barrier taps at the scene of the fire.

SOOT: The blackened ceiling at the meeting room at the SUPP HQ.

KUCHING: A fire at the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) headquarters early this morning caused extensive damage to the party’s meeting room, which is located at the back of the building.

Eyewitnesses called the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) at 3.51am after seeing smoke and firefighters managed to put out the fire by 5.10am.

As of 12pm, Bomba had yet to establish the cause of the fire.

New SUPP secretary-general Professor Dr Sim Kui Hian was among the first to arrive at the scene.

When contacted, former secretary-general Datuk Sim Kheng Hui told reporters he believed the fire was not accidental, but would leave it to the police to investigate.

Former deputy secretary-general Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh said if the fire was deliberately set, he condemned such an act of arson.

Newly-elected SUPP president Datuk Seri Peter Chin is expected to visit the headquarters around 6pm today to inspect the extent of the damage.

SUPP held its Triennial Delegates Conference (TDC) over the weekend.

A faction led by Wong had boycotted the TDC citing irregularities and procedural impropriety at branch-level elections.

The Registrar of Societies (ROS) is investigating.