by Geryl Ogilvy Ruekeith and Peter Sibon, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on December 7, 2011, Wednesday
Dr Chan
Dr Chan will not mediate despite being tasked by Najib, expects ROS green light for TDC
KUCHING: Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) president Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan said he will not mediate between the party’s two presidential candidates to avert an election for the president’s post at the TDC this weekend.
Instead, he advised the delegates to vote for the candidate who could better transform the party and hoped that the best man wins.
The two heavyweights who are vying for the top post are deputy secretary general and Minister of Local Government and Community Development Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh and organising secretary and Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water Datuk Seri Peter Chin.
Last week, Dr Chan was quoted as saying that he had been tasked by the Prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to mediate between the two camps to avoid further split in the party.
“Let us now do more and talk less to regain SUPP’s lost ground,” Dr Chan told The Borneo Post here yesterday.
On the possibility of the the Registrar of Societies (ROS) stopping the party’s triennial delegates conference (TDC) this weekend, Dr Chan is confident it would not happen despite the ROS having received complaints from some SUPP members on election irregularities at several party branches. The former deputy chief minister believed that the registrar would not take any action as the complaints were just “a misunderstanding that would not affect the TDC”.
“I have not seen the copy of the ROS letter but the misunderstanding arises due to the fact that this is the first time SUPP will hold an election for its top positions. The problems that were brought up of late are just small cases which can be settled internally,” said Dr Chan when contacted yesterday.
He was responding to a media report that SUPP secretary-general Datuk Sim Kheng Hui confirmed on Monday that he had received a letter from the ROS last week pertaining to complaints on the election irregularities.
Likening the party election to a project tendering process, Dr Chan stressed that it was normally “those who did not receive the project” that would complain.
“Of course, it is normal to have certain quarters making complaints,” he explained, adding that the dissatisfaction was lodged by only a few branches.
When asked how many delegates would be at the TDC, he disclosed that they would be around 600, and if observers and workers were to be included, the number of members involved would be about 1,000.
On the election, Dr Chan advised delegates to vote wisely for the sake of the party.
Meanwhile, according to press reports yesterday, Sim disclosed that ROS had advised the branches to conduct their elections in accordance with the party constitution.
He was said to have made the remarks at SUPP headquarters here before the party held its central election committee meeting Sunday.
Sim also kept mum on the number of complaints or reports that had been lodged with the ROS, adding that he was not informed when the complaints were made.
Efforts to get information from ROS Kuala Lumpur on the controversies surrounding SUPP as of yesterday were futile.
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