CM tasked to unravel SUPP-UPP imbroglio

PM asks Abang Johari to find a way resolve the tussle for seats between UPP and SUPP

KUCHING: Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg has been given the task to resolve the tussle for seats between Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) and United People’s Party (UPP).

Prime Minister and national Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said it is now up to Abang Johari to resolve the issue before the 14th general election (GE14).

“On the party’s resolution to reject direct BN candidate in the coming GE14, I’m asking your new “apai besai” to resolve the issue between SUPP and UPP once and for all.

“I’m sure Abang Johari had got his own wisdom to resolve this, and we will resolve this problem before PRU 14,” he said when closing SUPP triennial delegates conference (TDC) here yesterday.

Najib said it was important to resolve the issue before GE14 because BN must go to war as a solid party, as one BN and SUPP as one SUPP.

He reminded that when SUPP or BN talked about strong Sarawak, they must also talk about establishing strong SUPP, strong PBB, strong PRS and strong PDP.

“Because when you keep fighting you can’t become a strong Sarawak,” he said.

The Prime Minister said it was his hope that SUPP, together with PBB as the main partner and other BN partners – PRS and PDP - the parties of choice in Sarawak.

“Today I can feel a new sense

I’m sure Abang Johari had got his own wisdom to resolve this, and we will resolve this problem before PRU 14. — Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Prime Minister

of unity within SUPP. This is one of the positive developments that had taken place in SUPP.

“SUPP have indeed learned from their past history. Just now, your (SUPP) president Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian said SUPP had experienced near death because in GE13 the party lost six out of the seven seats.

“You were only left with one seat. In its analogy, you have lost your yellow short and left with yellow underwear only,” he said in jest.

He noted that SUPP, however, had learned from their experience of coming to near death.

He said usually when a person has experienced near death the person would become a lot wiser and stronger because he or she did not want to die.

He believed that, in that sense, SUPP had prevailed and its current TDC had emerged as a unique conference because all the top posts in SUPP are uncontested while the meeting at branch and divisional level had all run smoothly.

“Today there is a sense of unity, purpose, I can feel the energy, I can feel the excitement and I can feel the new sense confidence and enthusiasm in SUPP,” he said.