SUPP seems to settle for less than what it wants
Politics is strange, in some ways. Sometimes what you don’t see might complete the whole picture.
Take yesterday afternoon’s press conference by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem as an example.
At about 1.50pm, before the press conference started, nine SUPP potential candidates were seen waiting for Adenan at the Chief Minister’s Office.
The
nine are Milton Foo (Pending), Michael Tiang (Pelawan), Datuk Lee Kim
Shin (Senadin), Datuk Sebastian Ting (Piasau), Datuk Senator Dr Sim Kui
Hian (Batu Kawa), Adam Yii (Pujut), Wilfred Yap (Kota Sentosa), Peter
Pau (Padungan), and Sih Hua Tong (Batu Lintang).
A few minutes later, Dr Sim and Ting were called into the Chief Minister’s Office. While they were still inside, Padawan Municipal Council chairman Lo Khere Chiang appeared.
At about 2.10pm, Dr Sim and Ting re-emerged and everyone got ready for the press conference, except for Yii and Tiang.
They had disappeared.
Seated with Adenan at the press conference table at about 2.15 pm were Lo, Sih, Ting, Dr Sim, Lee, Foo, Pau and Yap.
Of the 10 SUPP candidates he announced, only two were absent—Chieng Buong Toon (Bukit Assek) and Datuk Francis Harden (Simanggang).
Sure enough, Yii and Tiang’s names were not announced.
Is that all SUPP would be getting for this coming state election?
Adenan said he would announce the candidate for Repok when he visit the area tomorrow.
This is where one can often put two and two together when it comes to politics. As the state BN chairman singled out the Repok candidacy in a basically SUPP-related event, it would be quite safe to conclude Repok will go to SUPP.
Following yesterday’s announcement, SUPP now has 10 seats secured, including the new seat of Batu Kitang.
If Repok goes to them, they would have 11, but that’s eight short of their traditional allocation of 19 seats, excluding their share of the new seats.
And when a reporter asked whether the remainder of SUPP’s ‘traditional’ seats would go to United People’s Party (UPP), Adenan replied the press could make any assumption they wanted, but the decision lay solely with him.
It is hard not to make such an assumption because if SUPP were to be given Pujut and Pelawan, Adenan could have just announced it at the press conference since Yii and Tiang were there.
But he did not.
That ought to be a clear sign Pelawan and Pujut would most likely go to UPP, in addition to the seats held by its assemblymen: Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh (Bawang Assan), Datuk Dr Jerip Susil (Bengoh), Ranum Mina (Opar) and Dr Johnichal Rayong (Engkilili).
In fact, on Tuesday, Adenan already announced the fielding of Dr Jerip as a BN direct candidate in Mambong (new name for Bengoh).
As for the rest of the seats traditionally allocated to SUPP, namely Meradong, Dudong and Kidurong (which has been renamed Tanjung Batu), SUPP has lost Dudong as Adenan recently announced BN would field a direct BN candidate, presumably from UPP, there.
For Meradong, it is also safe to predict the seat will go to UPP, where its proposed candidate James Wong is said to be strong enough to dethrone DAP’s assemblywoman Ting Tze Fui.
Kidurong is another seat SUPP may lose, but to SPDP.
Former Senator and SPDP Kidurong Division chairman Datuk Pau Chiong Ung may be fielded as a direct BN candidate there as he has the credential to unseat DAP strongman Chiew Chiu Sing.
Negotiations are on for Pau to resign from SPDP to stand as a direct BN candidate and for him to join SUPP if he won.
Should that be the case, SUPP will still get to keep Kidurong.
However, if what SUPP Dudong vice chairman Wong Ching Yong had said to a Chinese daily on Tuesday is true—that the party president and secretary would be sacked should they fail to keep the party’s 19 seats as decided during the party’s delegates’ conference in December last year, then troubles within SUPP are brewing.
Dr Sim, when met yesterday at the press conference, avoided the question and refused to confirm if what Wong said was true.
Taking into consideration all the latest twists and turns, it seems SUPP will be allocated 11 seats, while eight of its seats will go to UPP and one to SPDP.
Borneo Post
Take yesterday afternoon’s press conference by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem as an example.
At about 1.50pm, before the press conference started, nine SUPP potential candidates were seen waiting for Adenan at the Chief Minister’s Office.
The
nine are Milton Foo (Pending), Michael Tiang (Pelawan), Datuk Lee Kim
Shin (Senadin), Datuk Sebastian Ting (Piasau), Datuk Senator Dr Sim Kui
Hian (Batu Kawa), Adam Yii (Pujut), Wilfred Yap (Kota Sentosa), Peter
Pau (Padungan), and Sih Hua Tong (Batu Lintang).A few minutes later, Dr Sim and Ting were called into the Chief Minister’s Office. While they were still inside, Padawan Municipal Council chairman Lo Khere Chiang appeared.
At about 2.10pm, Dr Sim and Ting re-emerged and everyone got ready for the press conference, except for Yii and Tiang.
They had disappeared.
Seated with Adenan at the press conference table at about 2.15 pm were Lo, Sih, Ting, Dr Sim, Lee, Foo, Pau and Yap.
Of the 10 SUPP candidates he announced, only two were absent—Chieng Buong Toon (Bukit Assek) and Datuk Francis Harden (Simanggang).
Sure enough, Yii and Tiang’s names were not announced.
Is that all SUPP would be getting for this coming state election?
Adenan said he would announce the candidate for Repok when he visit the area tomorrow.
This is where one can often put two and two together when it comes to politics. As the state BN chairman singled out the Repok candidacy in a basically SUPP-related event, it would be quite safe to conclude Repok will go to SUPP.
Following yesterday’s announcement, SUPP now has 10 seats secured, including the new seat of Batu Kitang.
If Repok goes to them, they would have 11, but that’s eight short of their traditional allocation of 19 seats, excluding their share of the new seats.
And when a reporter asked whether the remainder of SUPP’s ‘traditional’ seats would go to United People’s Party (UPP), Adenan replied the press could make any assumption they wanted, but the decision lay solely with him.
It is hard not to make such an assumption because if SUPP were to be given Pujut and Pelawan, Adenan could have just announced it at the press conference since Yii and Tiang were there.
But he did not.
That ought to be a clear sign Pelawan and Pujut would most likely go to UPP, in addition to the seats held by its assemblymen: Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh (Bawang Assan), Datuk Dr Jerip Susil (Bengoh), Ranum Mina (Opar) and Dr Johnichal Rayong (Engkilili).
In fact, on Tuesday, Adenan already announced the fielding of Dr Jerip as a BN direct candidate in Mambong (new name for Bengoh).
As for the rest of the seats traditionally allocated to SUPP, namely Meradong, Dudong and Kidurong (which has been renamed Tanjung Batu), SUPP has lost Dudong as Adenan recently announced BN would field a direct BN candidate, presumably from UPP, there.
For Meradong, it is also safe to predict the seat will go to UPP, where its proposed candidate James Wong is said to be strong enough to dethrone DAP’s assemblywoman Ting Tze Fui.
Kidurong is another seat SUPP may lose, but to SPDP.
Former Senator and SPDP Kidurong Division chairman Datuk Pau Chiong Ung may be fielded as a direct BN candidate there as he has the credential to unseat DAP strongman Chiew Chiu Sing.
Negotiations are on for Pau to resign from SPDP to stand as a direct BN candidate and for him to join SUPP if he won.
Should that be the case, SUPP will still get to keep Kidurong.
However, if what SUPP Dudong vice chairman Wong Ching Yong had said to a Chinese daily on Tuesday is true—that the party president and secretary would be sacked should they fail to keep the party’s 19 seats as decided during the party’s delegates’ conference in December last year, then troubles within SUPP are brewing.
Dr Sim, when met yesterday at the press conference, avoided the question and refused to confirm if what Wong said was true.
Taking into consideration all the latest twists and turns, it seems SUPP will be allocated 11 seats, while eight of its seats will go to UPP and one to SPDP.
Borneo Post
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