Abang Johari: SUPP still relevant in Sarawak politics

Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) has proven itself to still be relevant in Sarawak politics, said Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.

The Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) chairman and Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) president said this was clearly proven by the party’s good performance in the last state election, where it succeeded in wresting the opposition’s strongholds of Pelawan and Bukit Assek here.

“Sixty-five years is a long journey. You have faced your challenges gracefully and successfully. SUPP is still alive – not only alive, but full of spirit.

“In the last election, you managed to regain the confidence of the people in SUPP, meaning people have realised that SUPP is still relevant in Sarawak politics,” he said when attending SUPP’s Chinese New Year 2024 celebration here Saturday night.

The event also served to celebrate the party’s 65th anniversary, and was coorganised by the five SUPP branches in Sibu – Dudong, Pelawan, Nangka, Bukit Assek and Bawang Assan.

Adding on, Abang Johari regarded SUPP and PBB ‘like brothers’ in that both parties had been working together for more than 50 years.

“If you want to talk about coalition governments, Sarawak was the first to have a coalition government in 1970 where the SUPP leadership worked together with the PBB leadership to establish a coalition in Sarawak. Only after that, there was BN (Barisan Nasional) – we were the first one.”

On claims by certain quarters that GPS winning 76 out of 82 seats in the last state election had resulted in a lack of checks and balances, Abang Johari assured all that the state coalition had its own internal mechanism to ensure checks and balances.

“It does not mean that when you have the majority, democracy is dead. No, because we have that culture of checks and balances,” he said.

Among those present were Deputy Premier and SUPP president Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian and wife Datin Amar Enn Ong, ministers and deputy ministers, and local community leaders including Temenggong Dato Vincent Lau.