It's not over yet for SUPP despite major loss
Rudy RukiminPublished: May 6, 2013 3:34 PM | Updated: May 6, 2013 4:09 PM
Like the mythological phoenix that rises above the ashes, the Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) will be back, says party veteran and former president Dr George Chan.
Like the mythological phoenix that rises above the ashes, the Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) will be back, says party veteran and former president Dr George Chan.
This is despite the party - the oldest political party in Sarawak - suffering another humiliating defeat in the just-concluded 13th general election (GE13).
Dr Chan, a former Sarawak deputy chief minister, said the fate of the oldest political party in the state was far from over.
He said there were positive signs that the 54-year-old party would gradually bounce back, based on the response during the GE13 campaign periods.
He said, this was despite losing six parliamentary seats and only managing to retain the bumiputera majority Serian parliamentary seat.
SUPP lost in the Chinese-majority and urban seats of Bandar Kuching, Stampin, Sarikei, Lanang, Sibu and Miri.
"I'm very happy that a lot of young people are turning up to help the party, and analyses have shown that in the 2011 state election, we lost badly by more than 5,000 majority votes on each seat.
"Now, however, it is less than 2,000, (thus) we have gained some ground," Dr Chan told reporters in Miri today.
For example, he said, Miri Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Sebastian Ting Chiew Yew had lost by a majority of 1,992, signalling the party had a fighting chance to recapture the Miri parliamentary seat - a traditionally BN stronghold since 1986 - from the opposition in the next general election.
"The party needs to start afresh, listen to the people and work hard," he said, adding that despite losing the Miri parliamentary seat, Ting had done the party proud.
Dr Chan also dismissed a suggestion that the party could get Chinese support if it quit as one of BN's components.
He said in the peninsula, Umno candidates could get support from multiracial voters as the BN party represented all races in the country.
Dr Chan has stepped down as party president in December 2011 after a dismal showing in the 2011 state election. He is succeeded by Peter Chin Fah Kui.
Meanwhile, Chin has apologised for the party's loss in six seats and would call for an emergency central working committee meeting to conduct a post-mortem.
- Bernama
This is despite the party - the oldest political party in Sarawak - suffering another humiliating defeat in the just-concluded 13th general election (GE13).
Dr Chan, a former Sarawak deputy chief minister, said the fate of the oldest political party in the state was far from over.
He said there were positive signs that the 54-year-old party would gradually bounce back, based on the response during the GE13 campaign periods.He said, this was despite losing six parliamentary seats and only managing to retain the bumiputera majority Serian parliamentary seat.
SUPP lost in the Chinese-majority and urban seats of Bandar Kuching, Stampin, Sarikei, Lanang, Sibu and Miri.
"I'm very happy that a lot of young people are turning up to help the party, and analyses have shown that in the 2011 state election, we lost badly by more than 5,000 majority votes on each seat.
"Now, however, it is less than 2,000, (thus) we have gained some ground," Dr Chan told reporters in Miri today.
For example, he said, Miri Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Sebastian Ting Chiew Yew had lost by a majority of 1,992, signalling the party had a fighting chance to recapture the Miri parliamentary seat - a traditionally BN stronghold since 1986 - from the opposition in the next general election.
"The party needs to start afresh, listen to the people and work hard," he said, adding that despite losing the Miri parliamentary seat, Ting had done the party proud.Dr Chan also dismissed a suggestion that the party could get Chinese support if it quit as one of BN's components.
He said in the peninsula, Umno candidates could get support from multiracial voters as the BN party represented all races in the country.
Dr Chan has stepped down as party president in December 2011 after a dismal showing in the 2011 state election. He is succeeded by Peter Chin Fah Kui.
Meanwhile, Chin has apologised for the party's loss in six seats and would call for an emergency central working committee meeting to conduct a post-mortem.
- Bernama
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