ELECTION TALK: The “feel good” mood of Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) members and supporters in Sibu has dissipated following the announcement of direct BN candidates from United People’s Party (UPP) to contest in the SUPP traditional seats of Bawang Assan, Pelawan and Dudong.
SUPP’s choice of the candidates are Robert Lau Hui Yew for Bawang Assan, Michael Tiang for Pelawan and Benny Lee for Dudong.
However, Chief Minister Adenan Satem had decided against the SUPP candidates by picking Wong Soon Koh for Bawang Assan, Janet Lau for Pelawan and Tiong Thai King for Dudong. The trio are from UPP.
UPP is a break-away group from SUPP established after long and bitter infighting within SUPP, the oldest political party in Sarawak.
A group of new SUPP members who are businessmen/businesswomen and professionals say they are absolutely disappointed, humiliated and even angry because their party’s choice of candidates are replaced by candidates from rival party UPP.
“Their party is not even a BN component party. By right they should not be nominated to contest under BN.
“I used to have a lot of respect for CM Adenan but now it is like…all evaporated into thin air”, lamented one Madam Lau.
Apart from agreeing with Madam Lau that only candidates from BN component parties should be nominated, another young SUPP member said her disapproval of the CM’s choice is also because the three UPP candidates are already too old.
“All of them are over 70 years old. They should retire and let the younger generation take over. It is the same mistake they are making over and over again by not giving the opportunity to capable and promising younger leaders in the party,” she stressed.
Making comparison with Tiong and Janet Lau with Robert Lau and Michael Tiang, this SUPP member also said both Robert and Michael are lawyers who possess good oratory skills and are also very committed in helping the people.
Another supporter, a Madam Wong, said she has decided to join SUPP together with her mother and younger brother because they have placed their hope in the party which has been rejuvenated and led by a new team of leaders.
“We even volunteered to help Robert and Michael in the campaigning and have been going down to the grassroots with them lately. Now our efforts are in vain,” she exclaimed.
A party-less businessman, Mr Ling, pointed out that Adenan has been inconsistent in his statements regarding the direct BN candidates.
“The CM initially said all direct BN candidates must be party-less and they can choose to join any BN party after they are elected. But now, he said that the winning direct BN candidates can also join the BN-friendly parties.
“This flip-flop decision is obviously made to favour those nominated by him to return to UPP and Teras after the election,” Ling observed, adding that this move by Adenan will cause him to lose respect from many politicians as well as the ordinary people.
Asked who they will support now, this group of disgruntled SUPP members said that they would either cast protest votes or they would not bother to vote at all.
-The ant daily
Post a Comment