SUPP Dudong leaders call on Ting to step down as secretary-general
SIBU: Five leaders from SUPP Dudong branch yesterday called on their party’s secretarygeneral to resign from his post.
In a press statement released yesterday, the five – Wong Ching Yong (Dudong SUPP chairman), Kelvin Kong Sien Chiu (deputy chairman), Kong Sing Ping ( secretary), Daniel Sng Wei Siong (treasurer) and Dr Wong Chya Wei (assistant secretary) – called on Datuk Sebastián Ting to step down.
“In view of the poor GE 14 ( performance), in which our party lost six out of seven parliamentary seats we contested, and in view of the principle of accountability, we hereby urge Datuk Sebastian Ting Chew Yew to resign as secretary- general of SUPP immediately.
“Today, we release the press statement in the capacity as the party delegates of SUPP. Ever since the GE 14, Datuk Ting Chew Yew is so quiet and inactive that the impression he gives is – he is shirking his responsibility as the secretary- general of the party.”
The joint statement said until today, as the secretary- general, Ting still had not come up with a statement nor a strategy as to how the party should be revived.
“Actually, ever since he was elected as the secretarygeneral, he had been dodging his responsibilities as the secretary general of the party to make a stance on important political issues.”
The statement said if the secretary- general was not willing to state his stance or the party’s stance on important political issues, the people would not know the stance of the party.
As such, it said, party members would become disillusioned and the people of Sarawak would not support SUPP.
“This is evident in the GE 14. The Central Secretariat is traditionally the mouth piece of SUPP and in the past, it had stated the stance of the party on important political issues without fear and favour, with the ultimate aim of winning the support of the people.”
The statement added, the Central Secretariat under Ting’s leadership is now like a feeble sick cat.
“We hardly read any political statement issued by the Central Secretariat regarding many important political issues affecting the livelihood of the people.”
It said every letter or document which they had forwarded to Ting was like throwing a stone into the ocean.
Among others, it said they had asked him for assistance on many issues faced by SUPP Sibu branches, particularly regarding the problems of the appointment of community leaders in Sibu.
“But, after hearing our predicaments, he neither came back to inform us about the outcome nor advised us of any alternative solution.”
It said under the party constitution, the secretarygeneral is the No. 2 man in the hierarchy, but, when the mass media approached him for comments on political issues, he either dodged or was evasive on the issues.
Quite often, it added, Ting had declined to comment and asked the mass media to refer to the party president.
“This dodging tactic has made mass media disappointed and unhappy.
“As a secretary - general since 2014 and albeit knowing Sibu is a politically disaster territory for SUPP, the number of his visits as the secretary- general to Sibu can be counted with one hand.”
Almost all the time, it added, Ting visited Sibu because he would be attending other functions, like a friend’s dinner.
Since 1959, it said SUPP had many secretary- generals, like Datuk Amar Stephen Yong, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr Wong Soon Kai and Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan, who later became the president of SUPP.
“Therefore, we are of the view that in the best interests of SUPP, Datuk Sebastian Ting should voluntarily relinquish the post of the secretary-general with immediate effect.”
No doubt, it claimed, Ting is a very nice person and he would always shake hands with people he bumped into.
“However, in the hours of severe trials and tribulations, shaking hands, smiling and kissing the babies are insufficient and irrelevant to weather the severe political storm faced by SUPP.”
Ting when contacted said: “As usual I do not issue press statements on party matters.”