Will Sarawak United People's Party (Supp) deputy president Law Hieng Ding challenge incumbent president Dr George Chan Hong Nam for the top post in the party come December?

The answer is still unclear as Law chose to remain mum when contacted today for comment on reports that his supporters have requested that he mounts a challenge for the presidency at the party's triennial delegates conference (TDC).

Law, the Sarikei MP who was unceremoniously dropped as a full minister after last year's general election, and Chan have fallen out since, and some of his supporters have been urging him to stand against the incumbent.

When contacted, the former minister of science, technology and environment said in a phone interview from Beijing where he is currently on holiday that he and Chan are about the same age (almost 70) and that others are quite capable of taking over the party.

This is being taken to imply that he would prefer that both he and Chan should step down if push comes to shove.

Although he did not mention anyone by name as potential candidates, Law was obviously referring to state second finance minister and Supp Sibu branch chairperson Wong Soon Koh and deputy local government and housing minister Robert Lau Hoi Chew as leaders who are capable of taking over.

Both belong to the Sibu group, said to have strong rivalry with the Miri group led by Chan and include Plantation Industries Minister Peter Chin (photo) and state assistant minister Lee Kim Shin.

There is no clear leader for the Kuching group as most of the party's elected representatives including secretary-general and state assistant minister Sim Kheng Hui appear to be united. However, another state assistant minister Alfred Yap is seen to be the lone elected representative from the Kuching group who is most loyal to Chan.

Elected representatives from the Kuching group have been bypassed when recommendations have been put forward for assistant or full ministers.

Bad taste

Supp vice-president and Stampin MP Yong Khoon Seng is said to feel bitter about not being promoted from his present post as parliamentary secretary to the works ministry to a deputy minister, when Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi reshuffled his cabinet last year.

Instead, Hoi Chew (photo) was appointed to deputy minister when Law was dropped as minister to make way for Chin.

"The cabinet appointments still leave a bad taste in the mouth of a lot of people in the party," according to one insider.

Sensing that an open fight could do a lot of damage ahead of the state elections next year, Chan had proposed at a recent central working committee meeting that there should be no contest for the top posts of president and deputy president.

Yong told malaysiakini today: "As of now, it seems there will be no contest. But you never know. Any eligible delegate from any branch could contest for any post."

The party has 31 branches which will have to meet in the run-up to the TDC in December, and the branches in Sarikei may disgress and call for election to certain posts.

The stand of party treasurer David Teng, the Repok state assemblyperson and another state assistant minister from Supp, is not clear. But he was at the centre of reconciliation efforts when Chan and Law exchanged barbs after the latter was dropped as minister.

For the moment, Law was not prepared to say whether he would take on the incumbent. He had earlier said he would remain deputy president if that is what the party wants.

Local Chinese newspaper reports hinted that Law may take on the president in the same way that former MCA vice-president Chua Jui Meng made a last-minute decision to take on president Ong Ka Ting.

Two weeks ago, Gerakan deputy president Kerk Choo Ting took on Dr Lim Keng Yaik for the presidency, but lost.

TONY THIEN is malaysiakini's Sarawak-based stringer.