SIBU: Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Dudong will field a candidate in the Dudong constituency under the BN banner in the coming state election.
A statement from SUPP Dudong secretariat said United People’s Party (UPP) could also file a candidate for the constituency but it must use its own banner and logo.
“They (UPP) can field candidates in all the 71 seats in the next state election but they must be under its own UPP logo and banner,” the statement added.
Representing SUPP Dudong at the press conference on Saturday afternoon were its chairman Datuk Dr Soon Choon Teck, deputy chairman Datuk Seri Benny Lee, vice chairman Wong Ching Yong, secretary Kong Sing Ping and organising secretary Huong How Ching.
Asked who they had in mind for candidate, a spokesman from the secretariat said they had many people in their list of candidates.
‘However, we will only disclose the name of the candidate at an appropriate time, and that is also subject to the final approval from SUPP Central,” the spokesman added.
The spokesman was referring to the recent announcement by UPP president Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh that SMC chairman Datuk Tiong Thai King would be UPP’s candidate for the Dudong constituency.
Wong viewed Tiong as a ‘seasoned politician’ who should be able to wrest the seat from the opposition for Barisan Nasional (BN).
The spokesman reiterated that UPP was not a member of the BN coalition.
“The constitution of BN stipulates that admission of a new party must have unanimous consent from all its component parties including SUPP which in its 2014 Triennial Delegates Conference (TDC) unanimously resolved that SUPP must contest in all the 19 state seats allocated to it and the newly allocated seats,” the spokesman added.
On UPP’s proposal to field Tiong as its candidate for the Dudong constituency, the spokesman described it as a smoke screen only.
“Tiong is already 70 years old and has lost twice in the election. We believe the real candidate from UPP will be Wong Kee Yew (SMC deputy chairman).”