KUCHING: Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh’s faction has rubbished claims that SUPP’s internal disputes can be resolved by convening the Triennial Delegates Conference (TDC).
Its spokesman Datuk Dr Jerip Susil said such claims, which were recently reported in the media, were completely wrong and ‘highly presumptuous’.
“Firstly, the (Tan Sri Peter) Chin faction has no lawful authority to convene the TDC. Their election in 2011 is still subject to the show cause letter issued by the Registrar of Societies (ROS) and no final decision has been made by the ROS.
“If they proceed with the TDC without resolving the show cause issue, it would be a slap in the face of ROS and place the party in greater danger of deregistration,” he said yesterday.
Dr Jerip, who is also SUPP Bengoh chairman, pointed out that SUPP branches, namely Piasau and Bekenu, were already deregistered and no final decision has been made by ROS on another 13 complaints.
“It is highly presumptuous of the Chin faction to assume that by convening another TDC it would sweep the previous illegality under the carpet and all the previous problems would be gone.”
He also said the party machinery had been completely under the control of Chin’s faction ever since the supporters of Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh boycotted the 2011 TDC due to election fraud and irregularities, of which complaints were lodged by 15 branches.
As such, he explained, there cannot and will not be a free and fair election in a TDC convened and controlled by one faction to the exclusion of the other faction.
“It is inconceivable that the Wong faction would even consider participating in such another tainted election.”
Dr Jerip mentioned that Chief Minister and state BN chairman Tan Sri Datuk Amar Adenan Satem had put forward a proposal that both factions share power equally in the interim until after the next State election.
This proposal, he reiterated, had been accepted by the Wong faction on a formula that the TDC be deferred until after the next state election.
“This would give both sides sufficient time to ensure that the TDC and branch elections can be held in a free and fair manner.”
He elaborated the deferment of the TDC was permissible if both parties agree and with the consent of the ROS.
“The ROS has said that there are precedents for such deferment.”
On another point, Dr Jerip said the Chin faction was rushing to hold the TDC in the belief that it would sweep the ROS show cause letter under the carpet.
By rushing to hold the TDC and re-elect their own faction back into power, he said the Chin faction was casting aside the peace formula put up by Adenan.
“If they choose to disregard the Chief Minister’s initiative, they will do so at their own peril because the show cause letter from the ROS has not been resolved.
“The conduct of the Chin faction shows clearly that since 2011 and until to date they refuse to settle the party disputes amicably.”
SUPP central secretariat, currently controlled by Chin faction, had announced that the party will hold its TDC on August 23 and 24. The TDC, which will see an election for office bearers, is scheduled to be held at the Dewan Sa’ati of the party headquarters.
The delegates’ meetings for the party’s Youth and Women sections will be held a day earlier on August 22.
SUPP central secretariat also told members to conduct their respective sub-branch and branch general meetings and elections from July 15 to August 3. The same instruction was also issued to the Youth and Wanita sections of these sub-branches and branches.