Dr Jerip’s figure wrong, says SUPP chief

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KUCHING: SUPP Bengoh chief Dr Jerip Susil’s assertion that six SUPP members in Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh’s camp have been referred to the disciplinary committee is “not factual”.

Party president Tan Sri Peter Chin said only one of them had been referred to the committee.

However, he declined to reveal the member’s identity.

“Dr Jerip said Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, Datuk Lee Kim Shin, Datuk Francis Harden, Ranum Mina and Dr Johnical Rayong and himself had been referred to the disciplinary committee. I say it is not factual.

“We have not referred any of them to the disciplinary committee, except for one,” he told a news conference after chairing the party’s central working committee (CWC) meeting at SUPP headquarters here.

On Friday, Dr Jerip said the bridge of reconciliation between Chin and Wong’s factions had been burned. He said since the six of them had been referred to the disciplinary committee, the process of reconciliation was over.

On the burning of bridges as mentioned by Dr Jerip, Chin stressed he always keeps an open mind with regards to party unity, and had tried to build bridge of reconciliation, and not burn bridges.

“It is not my style to burn bridges.  Chin added that as party chief, he would neither jeopardise unity nor the chance of reconciliation with Wong’s faction. On a different topic, Chin said the party leadership maintained that the current disciplinary committee, central committee (CC) and CWC “have been properly elected, until and unless the ROS issues a letter to say otherwise.”

“We are legal until declared not.”

On the merger talks between SUPP, MCA and Gerakan, Chin said he personally saw quite a few obstacles to surmount.

“SUPP is a multi-racial party and MCA is purely Chinese, which may suggest there could be a loose confederation instead of a merger. But merger is not impossible if it is a win-win situation.”

He said MCA leaders had spoken to him regarding the merger, but nothing turned out official.

“Unofficially, we have talked about it. Besides, I have not tabled anything on the matter in the CWC.”