SUPP condemns ‘uncultured tactics’

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The vandalised SUPP billboards at Jalan Stephen Yong.

The vandalised SUPP billboards at Jalan Stephen Yong.

KUCHING: Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) is condemning the act of irresponsible people who vandalised its election campaign billboards in Batu Kawah.

SUPP president and BN Batu Kawah candidate Senator Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian said that one billboard was torn and burnt while the other splashed with paint.

“This is another example of politics that promote hatred and fear as encouraged by our opponents. We strongly condemn this act and we are very disappointed that they could resort to such violent and uncultured tactics.”

“As a safety precaution for our supporters we will be rescheduling our ceramah tonight (originally to be at Batu Kawa Old Bazaar last night) as an opposing candidate is holding a ceramah adjacent to the proposed site,” said Dr Sim in a press statement.

Meanwhile, SUPP Batu Kawah had called off its ‘ceramah’ scheduled to be held at Batu Kawa old bazaar yesterday due to safety reason.

Dr Sim said the withdrawal was made as a precaution to ensure the safety of supporters while questioning the police approval for allowing two other parties to conduct their ‘ceramah’ just 50 feet away.

“Batu Kawah is so big whereby the ‘ceremah’ can be held in so many places. Why are you putting us together?

“The safety of the people is the most important and it would be irresponsible for me to say ‘never mind let go have a fight to see who win’. That is why I told Padawan police chief, what is going on you know where we are going to hold our ‘ceramah’, why issue a permit 50 feet apart from us.

“I’m very sad but I still have another nine days to go. I don’t want to turn this campaign into a dirty campaign which will end up causing public unrest,” he told a press conference after launching SUPP Batu Kawah manifesto yesterday.

Dr Sim said he would not risk the people’s safety “because during the election period emotions are high and we are really worried about all this and as such we requested that such incident will not happen again”.

He added that their ceramah had been re-scheduled to Friday.

“I hope that people realise that you don’t elect a representative who is uncultured,” he said, adding that he wasn’t sure who was trying to provoke who.

Dr Sim said the independent candidate Liu Thian Leong was the one who was holding his ‘ceramah’ on the very same day and venue.