SUPP can make clean sweep of seats in GE14 – president

KUCHING: Sarawak United Peoples' Party (SUPP) president Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian is optimistic that his party will win the maximum seven seats allocated to it in the coming general election.

He said he is confident the party's fortunes will change this time around despite having lost six of the seven seats to the opposition in the previous general election.

In order to achieve the target of winning the seven seats, Dr Sim called on former SUPP members who have joined the opposition, particularly the Democratic Action Party (DAP) to ‘balik rumah' (come home) and strengthen the party in tandem with the other communities in the state who have been supporting the Barisan Nasional (BN).

According to him, winning all seven seats would help strengthen the state in its negotiation with Putrajaya for the return of more of the state's rights.

"Sarawak needs to win the maximum 31 seats it has in Parliament to have better negotiating powers and to get its right back what it lost in the past.

“We need to protect Sarawak interests," said Dr Sim to reporters during SUPP's open house at the party's headquarters here on Friday.

He went on to reveal that SUPP has already finalised its list of candidates for the coming general election.

On the state's lost rights, Dr Sim took a swipe at the opposition, especially the DAP, for laying the blame on BN and SUPP, saying that the opposition themselves have done nothing despite being elected to Parliament all this while.

He then took a dig at former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, whom he described as one of those guilty of taking away the state's rights but who now wants to make amends.

“I urge Sarawakians, especially the Chinese community, to rally with SUPP and the state BN to win the maximum 31 parliamentary seats the state has.”

Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg, his wife Datin Patinggi Datuk Juma'ani Tuanku Bujang and other state BN leaders were among those present at the open house.