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Free Malaysia Today
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
It's now an open conflict between SUPP and PDP, says leader
Dudong SUPP chief Wong Ching Yong said the party stands to lose its political strongholds if it continues to adopt a soft and courteous stance with its ally. (Facebook pic) PETALING JAYA : The conflict between the Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) and the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) is now an open confrontation, according to a leader of one of the parties. Dudong SUPP chief Wong Ching Yong said the party's six divisions in Sibu must close ranks and collectively fend off attempts by their Gabungan Parti Sarawak ally to undermine any of them. 'Continuing to adopt a soft, courteous stance would only weaken SUPP's position further, possibly leading to the loss of its political strongholds. 'This is precisely why all six Sibu branches must close ranks and do everything we can to safeguard our presence and relevance here,' he said, according to The Borneo Post. PDP and SUPP leaders have clashed multiple times in recent years, particularly after PDP accepted Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) leaders and members en bloc last year. PSB, led by Wong Soon Koh until its dissolution, is a splinter of SUPP. Last week, PDP president Tiong King Sing claimed that an unnamed politician had interfered in the election of the Sibu Chinese Community Leaders Association's committee members, ordering all PDP members to withdraw from the association. Tiong did not name the party or the leader, but hinted that it might be a party associated with PDP by questioning whether the party in question would be able to win future elections on its own 'without the support of allied parties'. Tiong, a vice-chairman of GPS, is also the assemblyman for Dudong, located in Sibu.
Borneo Post
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Borneo Post
Ching Yong: SUPP-PDP now in open political confrontation
Wong Ching Yong SIBU (June 16): The political competition between Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) and its Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) ally Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) has now moved from behind-the-scenes manoeuvring to open confrontation, said Wong Ching Yong. The SUPP Dudong branch chairman said in view of this, any external attempt to undermine the six SUPP branches in Sibu must be met with a collective defence from all. 'The party's slogan 'Sa'ati (Satu Hati, or One Heart) reflects the fundamental belief in unity. 'This principle must remain central to SUPP's political struggle, especially as the party gears up for upcoming elections,' he said when speaking at the SUPP Nangka branch's Father's Day dinner here on Sunday. Others who spoke at the event were Deputy Minister for Public Health, Housing, and Local Government Datuk Michael Tiang, who is Pelawan assemblyman; Bukit Assek assemblyman Joseph Chieng, and SUPP Nangka chairman Chua Beng Seng. Also present were SUPP Dudong advisor Datuk Dr Soon Choon Teck and SUPP Bawang Assan chairman Councillor Kevin Lau. Wong, who is also SUPP Central assistant publicity and information secretary, said in the recent issue surrounding the election of Sibu Chinese Community Leaders Association office bearers, only the Dudong and Sibu Jaya branches spoke out against the allegations made by PDP. This, he noted, has caused some unease among SUPP supporters and party members. 'While our Pelawan and Bukit Assek branches are currently represented by elected assemblymen, the other four branches—Dudong, Sibu Jaya, Bawang Assan, and Nangka—must not be left to struggle alone. 'We must remember the adage, 'When the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold.' In other words, we cannot afford to mind only our own turf while others are under attack.' Wong also said that following hard-fought victories in Pelawan and Bukit Assek in the 2021 state elections, SUPP's opponents are now using 'aggressive tactics' to undermine the party's political foothold. 'This is precisely why all six Sibu branches must close ranks and do everything we can to safeguard our presence and relevance. 'Continuing to adopt a soft, courteous stance would only weaken SUPP's position further, possibly leading to the loss of its political strongholds.' He further called on the six Sibu branches to communicate their concerns to the party's central leadership to explore strategies for dealing with the increasingly tense political landscape. Separately, Wong expressed concern over a Gabungan Parti Sarawak component party leader in Sibu who for reasons unknown has taken to criticising SUPP and making disrespectful remarks about party president, Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian. He stressed that the partnership between SUPP and Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu—forged since the 1970s—is built on more than five decades of mutual respect, cooperation, and understanding. 'Therefore, even when disagreements arise among GPS component parties, it is vital to maintain mutual respect. 'This longstanding alliance should not be jeopardised by divisive rhetoric. Let us not forget the value of trust and unity that has held our coalition together for generations,' he said.
