SARIKEI: About 200 members of Sarawak United People’s Party here who are aligned to Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh have declared their stand, during a dinner here Wednesday, to sink and swim with the faction.
During a gathering at a restaurant here last Wednesday night they declared their unity.
They said they were particularly unhappy about the party’s Central Working Committee’s (CWC) decision to refer one of the six assemblymen from Wong’s faction to the disciplinary committee.
The six assemblymen are Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh (Bawang Asan), Datuk Francis Harden (Simanggang), Datuk Lee Kim Shin (Senadin), Dr Jerip Susil (Bengoh), Dr Johnical Rayong (Engkilili) and Ranum Mina (Opar).
Sarikei District Council chairman Chan Phan Chan who acted as their spokesperson said it was not proper to take any action against any member when the party was still entangled with problems. Efforts should be focused towards resolving those problems, he said, adding that priority should be accorded to resolve the problem with ROS to save the party from deregistration.
“Let’s work to restore the party and reunite its members. Taking disciplinary action or sacking members will not do any good to the party,” he said.
He also joined other party branches in supporting Dr Jerip’s statement that they would swim and sink together if party president Tan Sri Peter Chin were to sack any of the six assemblymen.
They also supported Dr Jerip’s statement that the Wong’s faction was united in pulling through this turbulent period.
Among those present at the dinner were Pemanca Frederick Wong, Penghulu Yeong Ngee Nguk, Penghulu Sia Jii Ming, Cr Stevenson Giri, Cr Sim Chee Chien, 10 longhouse chiefs and seven kapitans.