KUCHING: SUPP president Senator Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian yesterday urged the five direct BN candidates who won in traditionally SUPP seats in the May 7 election to return to the party for the sake of Chinese unity. He said the party would welcome them with open arms.
The five are Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh (Bawang Assan), Datuk Dr Jerip Susil (Mambong), Dr Johnical Rayong Ngipa (Engkilili), Ranum Mina (Opar) and Datuk Tiong Thai King (Dudong).
“We welcome them back to the family of SUPP. The five re-elected and elected representatives can apply to join SUPP,” said Dr Sim when met by reporters at the Batu Kawah old bazaar here yesterday.
“The five seats they won belong to SUPP, and we have every reason to welcome them back to us. This is for the overall benefit and betterment of the Chinese community.” On Saturday night after the election results were announced, Dr Sim, who managed to wrest Batu Kawah from the DAP, had also told the press that SUPP welcomed the five back as “unity is more important. So come back to BN and SUPP.”
Dr Sim said if they return, all five would automatically earn a place in the party’s central working committee (CWC), but no key post can be considered for them due to the party’s constitution.
“All official or government posts would be decided by the party, not by individuals. As such, anyone who wants to be appointed as minister or assistant minister will have to be decided by the party through discussions. The party will then make recommendations to Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem.”
Meanwhile, Dr Sim said he was confident he would be included in the state cabinet as Adenan had made a strong hint of this possibility during the polls campaigning period. He, however, said it was the prerogative of Adenan to decide what portfolio he should be holding.
On April 29, Adenan told over 1,000 people at a SUPP gathering at at Kuching City Mall that he would appoint Dr Sim a minister if Sarawakians voted for SUPP.
SUPP had a very good outing in the 11th state polls. Apart from Batu Kawah, the party also wrested Repok, Meradong and Piasau from the DAP while retaining Simanggang and Senadin and winning the new seat of Batu Kitang.
To a question, Dr Sim opined that members of the state cabinet had to come from existing BN component parties: PBB, SUPP, PRS and SPDP. Hence, he said, there was no way Wong and the other four would be appointed as ministers or assistant ministers as their status was only “BN friendly’.
Wong and the four used to be leaders of the BN-friendly United People’s Party (UPP), but they resigned from the party in order to contest the election as direct BN candidates.