Who is lying – Chin or Wong?

If ROS had declared the SUPP presidential election in December 2011 valid, why didn’t Peter Chin show it to Wong Soon Koh?

(FMT) – KUCHING: The most prominent issue that has surfaced from the weekend meeting of Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) is an alleged letter issued by Registrar of Society (ROS) on March 26.

Following the meeting of the contentious central working committee (CWC), SUPP president Peter Chin said the party had received a letter declaring the controversial triennial delegates convention (TDC) and its presidential elections in December 2011 as valid.

He claimed the letter, dated March 26, was addressed to the party’s secretary-general and had also indicated that the CWC was a valid entity.

But Chin’s claims have sparked doubts over his sincerity in wanting to consolidate SUPP at state level.

A looming general election appears to have little bearing on Chin, who is seen as out to drown his former rival for the president’s post, Wong Soon Koh.

Wong, who is backed by by Chief Minister Taib Mahmud, is also the former party’s deputy secretary-general.

A party insider from Wong’s Sibu branch questioned Chin’s silence over the March 26 letter and over issues between his faction and Wong’s.

Wong, who is Bawang Assan assemblyman, had lodged the report with ROS last year over the branch-level election irregularities.

“This [letter] is a big issue. If there was a letter dated March 26, why didn’t Chin show it to us before? Why was Chin silent all this while?

“Isn’t it to his benefit to tell everyone of ROS’ decision and move towards uniting the factions?” asked the insider, referring to the deeply divided party facing political extinction.

According to the insider, ROS had sent both Chin and Wong a letter dated April 3 notifying them that investigation into the party’s alleged election irregularities was still ongoing.

It was this letter which Wong and his team of six assemblymen had been adhering to.

The letter also instructed SUPP to only carry out ordinary businesses, thus making last Saturday’s CWC meeting called to discuss two motions – disciplinary action against Wong and calls for the party to pull out of BN – questionable.

Said Bengoh assemblyman Dr Jerip Susil, who is also in Wong’s ‘camp: “If indeed the secretary-general of SUPP had received a letter from ROS, stating the TDC is valid, we should be notified without further delay.”

He said as far Wong and the other elected representatives were concerned, the issue was simply the “validity of the TDC”.

“We love the party and our concern is that the party be administered with transparency, fairness, and a sense of justice…” he said in a statement.