KUCHING: The Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) is in a quandary – should it continue to support Taib Mahmud as chief minister and the leader of the state Barisan Nasional or not?
“To continue backing Taib will mean losing the support of the Chinese voters. Not doing so will incur the wrath of the chief minister and its members will lose their positions and businesses with the state government,” said an observer.
“SUPP is really in a fix,” he said.
Early this month, SUPP wanted to meet with Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to exert pressure on Taib to resign or the party would pull out of the state BN.
Meanwhile, Sarawak DAP treasurer Violet Yong accused SUPP of being scared of Taib when it failed to make its stand on his leadership.
“SUPP leaders are afraid of the chief minister and do not dare to make their stand. As a party, it cannot claim to represent the Chinese community because it has lost its credibility,” said Yong, the state assemblywoman for Pending.
“Other leaders of Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) have expressed their support for Taib’s continued leadership, but SUPP leaders have remained silent.
“The people, especially the Chinese, want to know its stand,” she said in response to a statement by SUPP secretary-general Sim Kheng Hui.
'Not her business'
Sim had accused Yong of being too vocal and that she might be pushed aside the way it was done to Batu Lintang state assemblyman Voon Lee Shan.
“Yong is undergoing a similar situation which Voon faced before he was suspended,” Sim said, adding that he could not understand why Yong had to ask SUPP to make its stand following public support for the chief minister by PBB, PRS and SPDP.
“Like these three parties, SUPP is also a BN component party.
“This is not her business, but BN’s business. I suggest she gives due attention to Pakatan Rakyat, particularly the states it is now ruling.
“There are so many problems in the Pakatan governments and it is time for her to stop directing SUPP what to do,” he had said.
Reacting to Sim’s statement, Yong accused Sim of trying to divert attention away from the real issue – the issue of whether it would support Taib’s leadership or not.
“Clearly Sim is scared of Taib,” she said, adding that it was not Sim’s business whether she was going to be sidelined or not.
“Nobody sidelines me. I am still the DAP state treasurer,” she said.
Asked whether DAP wanted Taib to be replaced, Yong said Pakatan’s aim is to change the whole government, which is already rotten.
“That is our ultimate aim. Whether we can do it is up to the people,” she added.
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