KUCHING: Senator Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian will be the next SUPP president while Datuk Sebastian Ting and Datuk Ding Kuong Hiing are the secretary-general and treasurer respectively, if all goes well during the party’s election tomorrow.
This was disclosed yesterday by its outgoing president Tan Sri Peter Chin, who described the new line-up as “no secret”, given that some media had run it.
“Some of you already published the list although I don’t know where you got it from. Our president nominee is YB Datuk Dr Sim, deputy president is still Datuk Richard Riot, secretary-general is Datuk Sebastian Ting and treasurer is from Sarikei, Datuk Ding Kuong Hiing.
“These are the top posts. So far, the indication is that there is no contest for top posts. For this new line-up, we have more or less agreed among ourselves but we never know people might want to change their mind.
“But so far, we do not expect any tough or big fight for top posts. As you can see, there was no contest for Youth and Wanita wings, so we are finding this triennial delegates’ conference (TDC) a very smooth TDC,” he told the press after chairing the fifth meeting of the 24th SUPP Central Committee (CC) at the party’s headquarters here.
Chin said “the atmosphere this time is very good” with party leaders and members seeing the point of avoiding contest, which might develop factions within SUPP.
He further pointed out the party “is fighting for survival” while doing its best to face the coming state election.
“Everybody realises that if we don’t get ourselves united and go into election, we will have problems winning our seats. At least, a good start would be not quarrelling among ourselves.
“I get the feeling that we are more united than in the past. We have set out a task for ourselves to transform our party and one of the transformations is to get younger leaders to assume the posts. This is what we are doing and we hope the public will look at us favourably.”
He hoped the community would give SUPP a chance to try out new leaders by rallying behind them.
He also appealed to party leaders and members, who would not be present at the TDC today and tomorrow, to give new leaders their full support.
“I appeal to them to give the new leaders a chance to bring the party to greater heights. If you don’t give them a chance, how do you know that they are not good.”