KUCHING, Nov 2, 2012: Local Government and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh and the five State Assemblymen and a Member of Parliament aligning to him may form a new political party if he is expelled from the Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP).
Sources close to the Soon Koh faction said that they already had prepared documents to be submitted to the Registrar of Societies (ROS) once SUPP's central working committee sacked him for dissciplinary reasons.
The five state lawmakers aligned to Soon Koh are Dr Jerip Susil (Bengoh), Datuk Francis Harden (Simanggang), Johnical Rayong (Engkilili), Ranum Mina (Opar) and Datuk Lee Kim Shin (Senadin) and the Lanang Member of Parliament Datuk Tiong Thai King.
The Soon Koh faction is solidly backed by State BN chairman, Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, who is also the chief minister and president of the State BN's lynch pin Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB)>
Asked to confirm that the faction had already prepared to form the new party, one of the five assemblymen who spoke on condition that his name be not mentioned, said:"Yes, that is true. Our position is unclear in SUPP. We can never know whether we will be nominated again to contest in the coming state election.
"It is better that we make preparation in our political struggle," he said.
Asked to confirm speculations that Taib was behjnd them, he revealed:" Do you think we dare to rebel against the SUPP leadership? I tell you, we will be finished if he is not behind us."
The SUPP's disciplinary committee is due to hear complaints against Soon Koh, who is also the SUPP Sibu branch chief, this month.
“Written complaints against Soon Koh were received by the disciplinary committee last month and it has 30 days to hear the complaints,” party secretary general Professor Dr Sim Kui Hian in a vague statement to the press.
He said that complaints of misconducts were brought up against Soon Koh by the delegates attending the annual central committee (CC) meeting on Sept 23.
Dr Sim said certain members also lodged complaints with the party headquarters against Soon Koh, who is a former party deputy secretary general.
“The central working committee (CWC) had, in compliance with the Term of Reference of the Disciplinary Committee of the party, referred these complaints to the disciplinary committee for necessary actions,” he said.
Dr Sim explained that the disciplinary committee, at its last meeting, had not decided on a case involving Soon Koh because it had not received any written complaints.
“The disciplinary committee will not entertain oral complaints against any members,” he said.
“Now that disciplinary committee has received written complaints, it is up to them when it wants to convene a meeting,” he said, stressing that the meeting should be convened within 30 days of receiving the written complaints.
He said Soon Koh could choose either to attend the meeting to defence himself or to submit written explanation on the complaints to the disciplinary committee.
Dr Sim said that Sarikei branch committee member Stephen Wong Kie Yong and Bintangor branch committee member Hii Huat Chuong were sacked by the CWC upon recommendation by the disciplinary committee.
Both are aligned to Soon Koh in a power struggle in the party.
“CWC, in a properly convened meeting on Oct 29, 2012, resolved to expel them from the party,” Dr Sim said, adding that the CWC made the decision after having considered and deliberated the disciplinary enquiry reports on the two.
He said the two were sacked pertaining to their conducts which were detrimental to the interests of the party.
Sim said Stephen Wong and Hii could appeal to the CC, the second highest body in the party, against the decision of the CWC.
“Under Article 46 of the Party Constitution, they have 30 days to file their appeal,” he said.
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