SUPP sees tough fight in coming state election

KUCHING: A tough fight awaits Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP), especially in the Chinese-majority constituencies in the coming state election, party president Dr George Chan Hong Nam said today.

Chan, who is also deputy chief minister, is worried about the current political situation as far as SUPP is concerned.

"We are going to face a difficult time.

"I'm certain if we don't work hard, if we don't change and if we don't try to do things the people want us to do, then the future of the party is at stake," he said at the SUPP 51st anniversary celebration dinner, here, last night.

SUPP, the oldest Chinese-led political party in the state, failed to retain the Sibu parliamentary seat in the May 16 by-election after newcomer Robert Lau Hui Yew narrowly lost by 398 votes to DAP state chairman Wong Ho Leng.

In the 2006 state election, SUPP lost eight of the 19 seats contested. The seats are Padungan, Pending, Batu Lintang, Kota Sentosa, Engkilili, Meradong, Bukit Assek and Kidurong.

Although a tough fight awaits, SUPP is confident it can wrest back the lost ground if all party members and leaders stand united and fight for the party and people.

Chan urged the party leaders go to the ground, reach out to the people and listen to their views as SUPP must cope with new challenges and meet the demands and aspirations of the people.

"Life is full of ups and downs. The same goes to politics. I hope in the coming state election, SUPP can go up again.

"The fighting spirit of the party members and leaders will restore and strengthen the party to face the challenges in the coming state election," he said.

Chan also urged opposition parties from the peninsula to stop poisoning the minds of the people in Sarawak by bringing unhealthy and bad politics which could destroy harmony in the state.

"The political landscapes in Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia are different. We don't need them (leaders from the peninsula) to bring poison into the state," he said.

Reimbursement

Meanwhile, SUPP secretary-general Senator Sim Kheng Hui said the party would seek reimbursement for landowners who paid higher land lease renewal premiums before the revised policy comes into effect on June 1.

He said more than 800 owners of terrace houses in Kenyalang Park, one of the oldest housing areas here, had renewed their land lease by paying about RM2,600 in premium before the new flat rates were announced.

"SUPP will help them to request an average of about RM1,600 to be paid back. We will fight for it," he said, adding that a counter would be set up at the Kenyalang Market and Commercial Centre here to gather details from the landowners concerned.

May 14, Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud announced the revised land policy which uses fixed rates in the calculation of premium for renewal of land lease for residential, commercial and agricultural land without taking into account the balance term of the title.

Under the new rates, for residential use, the premium for renewal of land lease for a terrace house is a flat RM1,000 per unit, RM3,000 for a semi-detached house and RM6,000 for a detached house.