Will the death knell sound for Supp?
Tony ThienPublished: Jun 5, 2006 12:07 PM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 6:21 PM
Following its devastating performance in the May 20 state polls, the question being asked now is whether Supp (Sarawak United People's Party) will be able to recover its lost ground among the Chinese community in Sarawak.
Following its devastating performance in the May 20 state polls, the question being asked now is whether Supp (Sarawak United People's Party) will be able to recover its lost ground among the Chinese community in Sarawak.
Or will Sarawak's oldest-established political party continue to see a slide in support and go the same way as the now defunct Sarawak Chinese Association (SCA)?
Or will the party fight harder to keep its share of Dayak support to remain relevant?
Supp's early struggle was for Sarawak's independence. Although led by English-educated moderate leaders like the late Ong Kee Hui and Stephen Yong Kuet Tze, Communist ideology took root in certain sections of its largely Chinese-educated membership.
Many of its radical members became involved in what the authorities then described as clandestine Communist activities and the party was also strongly opposed to the formation of Malaysia, with its leaders taking the case to the United Nations.
The change to the party's radical image only started in 1970 when it joined forces with the Tun Abdul Rahman Yakub-led Parti Bumiputera to form a coalition with 23 members plus two defectors from the Iban-based Parti Pesaka Anak Sarawak, led by the late Tun Temenggong Jugah Anak Barieng.
The decision did not go down well with many of the party's more radical leaders and even the Chinese voters expressed their displeasure through the ballot boxes in the second direct state election in 1974.
In that elections, Yong Kuet Tze, then deputy chief minister, lost in Kuching Timor to the opposition Snap's Lo Foot Kee.
That was not to be the only bitter lesson for Supp. Later even its new president Dr Wong Soon Kai, who took over as deputy chief minister, was defeated in Bukit Assek by DAP's Richard Wong Ho Leng in 1996.
Pent-up anger
It was probably pent-up anger within the Chinese community over Supp's failure to stand up against some of the injustices and bad policies of the state government that saw almost a complete wipe out of its candidates in Kuching in the recent state elections.
Rubbing salt into the wound, the party also lost one seat (Bukit Assek) in Sibu and another (Meradong) in Bintangor. There were also two near losses ( Dudong and Pelawan) in Sibu.
It managed to hold on to its fortress in Miri but suffered a decline in popular votes and almost lost in the newly-created Pujut seat.
"Voters were simply tired of the same old faces," was how one political analyst described the crushing blow.
Further, he added, there is rising concern about the economic downturn and its impact on the Chinese community.
A senior academic believed that the 'rising tide of Islamisation', increasing ethnic segregation, corruption in the public sector and lack of any substantive political and economic reforms were issues that had important bearing on the polls results.
He said even if Abdul Taib Mahmud had stepped down as chief minister before the polls, it would not have changed the way people voted.
"No, it would not (change the outcome) since the issue is not only Taib Mahmud but rather the structure within Barisan Nasional, namely that Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, despite his robust rhetoric, has not delivered ..." he added.
Bleak future
Was Supp president and deputy chief minster Dr George Chan an issue?
The academic said he believed the issue was not centered around personalities per se "although this could and did exacerbate the problem".
"The real issue is policies and the non-existent reforms within BN," he added.
He also predicted a bleak future for Supp, saying that the party could lose more seats in the coming parliamentary elections.
Supp contested 19 seats, including 14 Chinese majority seats, and lost eight, four in Kuching (three to DAP and one to Parti Keadilan Rakyat), one each in Sibu, Meradong and Kiurong (Bintulu) - all to DAP. It also lost in the Iban-majority seat Engkilili to Snap.
As for parliamentary seats, it now has six (Stampin, Bandar Sibu, Sarikei, Lanang, Serian and Miri) after losing Bandar Kuching to DAP in the 2004 parliamentary election.
Or will Sarawak's oldest-established political party continue to see a slide in support and go the same way as the now defunct Sarawak Chinese Association (SCA)?
Or will the party fight harder to keep its share of Dayak support to remain relevant?
Supp's early struggle was for Sarawak's independence. Although led by English-educated moderate leaders like the late Ong Kee Hui and Stephen Yong Kuet Tze, Communist ideology took root in certain sections of its largely Chinese-educated membership. Many of its radical members became involved in what the authorities then described as clandestine Communist activities and the party was also strongly opposed to the formation of Malaysia, with its leaders taking the case to the United Nations.
The change to the party's radical image only started in 1970 when it joined forces with the Tun Abdul Rahman Yakub-led Parti Bumiputera to form a coalition with 23 members plus two defectors from the Iban-based Parti Pesaka Anak Sarawak, led by the late Tun Temenggong Jugah Anak Barieng.
The decision did not go down well with many of the party's more radical leaders and even the Chinese voters expressed their displeasure through the ballot boxes in the second direct state election in 1974.
In that elections, Yong Kuet Tze, then deputy chief minister, lost in Kuching Timor to the opposition Snap's Lo Foot Kee.
That was not to be the only bitter lesson for Supp. Later even its new president Dr Wong Soon Kai, who took over as deputy chief minister, was defeated in Bukit Assek by DAP's Richard Wong Ho Leng in 1996.
Pent-up anger
It was probably pent-up anger within the Chinese community over Supp's failure to stand up against some of the injustices and bad policies of the state government that saw almost a complete wipe out of its candidates in Kuching in the recent state elections.
Rubbing salt into the wound, the party also lost one seat (Bukit Assek) in Sibu and another (Meradong) in Bintangor. There were also two near losses ( Dudong and Pelawan) in Sibu.
It managed to hold on to its fortress in Miri but suffered a decline in popular votes and almost lost in the newly-created Pujut seat.
"Voters were simply tired of the same old faces," was how one political analyst described the crushing blow.
Further, he added, there is rising concern about the economic downturn and its impact on the Chinese community.
A senior academic believed that the 'rising tide of Islamisation', increasing ethnic segregation, corruption in the public sector and lack of any substantive political and economic reforms were issues that had important bearing on the polls results. He said even if Abdul Taib Mahmud had stepped down as chief minister before the polls, it would not have changed the way people voted.
"No, it would not (change the outcome) since the issue is not only Taib Mahmud but rather the structure within Barisan Nasional, namely that Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, despite his robust rhetoric, has not delivered ..." he added.
Bleak future
Was Supp president and deputy chief minster Dr George Chan an issue? The academic said he believed the issue was not centered around personalities per se "although this could and did exacerbate the problem".
"The real issue is policies and the non-existent reforms within BN," he added.
He also predicted a bleak future for Supp, saying that the party could lose more seats in the coming parliamentary elections.
Supp contested 19 seats, including 14 Chinese majority seats, and lost eight, four in Kuching (three to DAP and one to Parti Keadilan Rakyat), one each in Sibu, Meradong and Kiurong (Bintulu) - all to DAP. It also lost in the Iban-majority seat Engkilili to Snap.
As for parliamentary seats, it now has six (Stampin, Bandar Sibu, Sarikei, Lanang, Serian and Miri) after losing Bandar Kuching to DAP in the 2004 parliamentary election.
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