KUCHING: The legality of Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) central leadership is still in doubt as the election of its members is still under probe by the Registrar of Society (ROS).
Asserting this at a media conference here yesterday SUPP Sibu branch chairman Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh pointed out that complaints lodged against the party’s Triennial Delegates Conference (TDC) held in December 2011 had not been addressed by the ROS.
Speaking at his office at Bangunan Baitulmal, Wong said SUPP president Tan Sri Peter Chin and the other office bearers could not claim to be party leaders because the ROS had not decided on the legality of the party’s TDC election.
Wong pointed out that since complaints were filed against the election of office bearers during the TDC by 14 party branches – Kuching, Pending, Padungan, Sri Aman, Sarikei, Bintangor, Repok, Sibu, Kanowit, Bintulu, Bekenu, Piasau, Julau and Song no one could deny there was problem in the election of the central leadership.
“Several branches (14) has made complaints on wrong doings…two branches have been issued show-cause letters, ROS has not made a decision, so the central leadership remains in doubt and illegitimate.
Wong added when two branches of the party Bekenu and Piaisau were issued show-cause letters by ROS then whole party was affected as these branches also sent delegates to vote at the TDC.
He was responding to Chin’s statement that ROS had no reason to deregister SUPP if the complaints against Bekenu and Piasau were found to be genuine.
Wong, who is Second Finance Minister, and Local Government, also strongly believed that ROS was taking a long time to make a decision to enable the party to solve its internal problem.
He stressed that his group has tried their very best to resolve the problems besetting the party, making at least two proposals to Chin.
“I want to make my conscience very clear here that I have met Chin two times having lunch together and discussed how to solve the party..the first meeting was on June 3 and the second one on Aug 9.
“In each meeting (lunch) we spent more than two hours..and the proposals that I made was to have a fresh election and that those senior party members who were defeated in the election and controversial leaders including myself not to contest,” Wong said.
He pointed out that Chin has agreed to look at the proposal and consult his (Chin) group and to talk with him (Wong) again.
Wong pointed out that Chin never replied his proposals, but instead between the two meetings, Chin convene a central committee (CC) meeting on June 23.
“If he (Chin) is sincere in solving party problems, he should have not convene the meeting (CC) and take disciplinary actions against me and four others (Dr Jerip Susil, Ranum Mina, Dr Johnical Rayong and Datuk Francis Harden), after sacking two party members,” Wong said.
Wong also said that the 25 members of the CC, and 130 CWC members were all aligned to Chin.
Wong further said that it would be a very sad day if SUPP was deregistered, but reiterated that his group should not be blamed as 14 branches had filed complaints of wrong doings during the Dec 2011 TDC.
“Fourteen branches had lodged complaints to ROS..complaints (and not from us) were made because of irregularities, so if SUPP is deregistered, don’t blame us,” Wong said.
Wong also stressed that he would not make any more further comment and statement on SUPP until ROS has made a decision.
SUPP was issued with a show cause letter from ROS on June 6 last year, to explain why the party should not be deregistered, which the party replied on June 28.