In fact, he pointed out, it would ensure that the community would have better representation in the state Barisan Nasional (BN) government after the next state election.
As such, he commended Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem’s initiative in getting both UPP and SUPP to talk out their differences during their recent closed door meeting, so that both parties could represent the Chinese community as a united entity.
“The chief minister’s advice to UPP and SUPP to talk out their political differences is good and practical. But it must be done quietly and out of the glare of publicity.
“When UPP and SUPP meet, they must not meet as party representatives. They must meet as (member of the) Chinese community trying to work out a practical system so that they fight as one Chinese entity (in the next state election) to have any chance of reclaiming their lost seats. If they don’t, there is a danger that the next state BN government would have no Chinese representation,” Masing told The Borneo Post yesterday.
In the last state election in 2011, the three BN component parties were allocated 36 seats — SUPP (19 seats), PRS (nine) and SPDP (eight). The remaining 35 in the 71-seat State Legislative Assembly were allocated to PBB.
However, SUPP was dealt a heavy blow when it lost 13 of its seats. PRS managed to retain eight, while SPDP won five. This time around, the four components of state BN will have 11 additional seats, which the ruling coalition has yet to decide how they would be allocated.-Borneo Post
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