KOTA SAMARAHAN: Barisan Nasional (BN) will not let Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) ‘walk alone’ despite the party’s worst ever election setback on April 16.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said the oldest political party in Sarawak would remain a component party of BN but it must strengthen its machinery.
He pointed out that whether the Chinese community in the state still wanted SUPP should not be the issue since BN Sarawak retained its two-thirds majority in the 10th state election.
“We have to be on their side regardless of the situation. I think what Chief Minister (Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud) does is right, that BN has to form the state government even without Chinese representatives,” he told reporters here yesterday.
Nazri added that it was not BN’s loss that the Chinese community rejected SUPP.
“It is okay they ‘tolak’ SUPP. On BN’s part, we will still solve problems faced by the Chinese community as and when we can.”
Responding to talks that SUPP had been likened to Peninsula Chinese-based political parties namely Gerakan and Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), he said: “Sarawak and Semenanjung (Malaysia) are two different scenarios and what we have to do is strengthen SUPP.”
Asked on whether BN was aware of the wishes of Chinese in the state, Nazri said: “That we have to ask the Chinese community.”
During the recently-concluded state polls, SUPP lost 13 of its 19 seats to Democratic Action Party (DAP) and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).
The only elected Chinese representatives are Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh and Datuk Lee Kim Shin, who retained Bawang Assan and Senadin seats respectively.