Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) presidential hopefuls Peter Chin Fah Kui and Wong Soon Koh are embroiled in a war of words, going by the state's dailies, in the run-up to the party's three-day triennial delegates conference (TDC), beginning Dec 9, in Kuching.   

Chin is energy, green technology and water minister while Wong is state minister of local government and community development.     

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is expected to attend the event to be attended by about 600 delegates from 43 branches statewide.     

They will elect 135 Central Committee members and 25 Central Working Committee (CWC) members.     

The CWC members will then elect the new president of the state's oldest political party.     

Meanwhile, at a press conference in Sibu today, Wong said he had the best working relationship with the state Barisan Nasional leadership under Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud.     

"All these years, whatever problems, particularly those faced by the urban communities, had been brought to the attention of the state government.     

"I have been able to obtain state land with (Abdul) Taib's approval for the building of Chinese and mission schools, churches, temple, burial grounds and Chinese association buildings.     

"The chief minister has been very gracious in helping us solve even bread-and-butter issues," he added.     

He challenged Chin to ask Abdul Taib if he (Wong) had indeed, done this and how often. 

Nevertheless, he said, it was, of course, not possible for the state government to give outright or annual grants to Chinese schools.     

"We have a peculiar situation in the state where we have over 26 different ethnic groups.     

"If we were to cater to all Chinese schools, what about those government schools in many rural areas which are even in worse-off condition?," he asked.     

Nevertheless, he said, the state government was not completely ignoring Chinese schools as grants were given to them through elected parliamentary and state representatives.     

- Bernama