Delegates from 25 branches at last Friday's Sarawak United People's Party (Supp) central committee (CC) annual meeting have delivered a strong message to party president Dr George Chan - they want the party to undergo a 'drastic change' or face the inevitable oblivion.

The message was contained in the speeches of many branch delegates, following deputy president Law Hieng Ding's strongly-worded address which blamed the top leadership for the party's electoral defeat in Bandar Kuching in March and the increasing disillusionment of many party leaders, members and their supporters in the party's performance.

The tone was more than a reprimand or a rebuke of the top leadership's past actions. They wanted a 'drastic change,' without as much as calling for an immediate leadership change.

Former federal minister Law who is the Sarikei MP led the scathing attacks, directed apparently at Chan, who some delegates in their speeches referred to as the 'White Hair's (Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud) chin kay (Hokkien for 'in-law')', indicating the continuing disenchantment with the party leader in running the party.

Several branch delegates told malaysiakini that they had told their party president in no uncertain terms he should not continue to make decisions without consulting the party.

"Specifically, we want Chan (Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Industrial Development) to consult the party on such important decisions as the appointment of ministers, deputy ministers and assistant ministers, and on the selection of candidates to contest in general elections," they said.

Sec-gen not aware

One delegate even accused the president of acting like a 'dictator.'

The delegate said he had asked party secretary-general Sim Kheng Hui in March this year after the general election what had actually happened before Law was dropped as a federal minister.

According to him, Sim, who is a state assistant minister, had told him he did not know anything about it.

The delegate told the central committee delegates, "The party president is either a dictator and is so strong that he does not need to consult anybody, or that he (Sim) is so weak that he does not need to be consulted."

The reference to the chief minister's name, according to several of the delegates, was also rarely mentioned during the delegates conference. Any reference to him was only made merely by a less endearing term 'White Hair.'

Delegates from central Sarawak, especially Sibu, had also bluntly told the party president against admitting former state DAP chairperson Wong Sing Nang as a member.

Chan is said to be in favour of taking in Wong, who now works for an Indonesian-based timber tycoon from Sarawak, as a party member and is also said to be in favour of considering the idea of fielding him as the next Supp candidate for the state seat of Meradong, a seat presently held by Ting Check Sii, a timber businessman.

The party leader was told to look at Wong's past record in fighting the party and to remember the past contributions of party leaders, including former president Dr Wong Soon Kai.

Soon Koh the successor

The anti-Chan feelings among sections of the party leadership appear to lend support to the belief that pressure in mounting on Chan to step down at the next party elections, likely to be in December 2005.

A name that has often been mentioned as likely to take over is Wong Soon Koh, a teacher-turned-politician and a cousin of Soon Kai, a former deputy chief minister.

Soon Koh is Second Minister of Finance and Tourism and Urbanisation Minister and regarded as the leader of the BN Visionary Team in Sibu.

He appears to have the backing of delegates from central Sarawak, covering Sibu and Sarikei, and most of Kuching. Chan's support comes basically from Miri, his home base.

Delegates also spoke of the need for the party to be wary of attempts by some quarters to bring about its downfall, following the demise of Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) and Sarawak National Party (Snap) which is seeking a judicial review of the Registrar of Societies' decision to de-register the party.

One very unhappy delegate even remarked at the meeting that the party could end up having its "party signboard being displayed in the Sarawak Museum."

TONY THIEN is malaysiakini's Sarawak-based stringer.