Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Non-Chinese as party president?

Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) president Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan has no trouble endorsing a non-Chinese to replace him as the party’s new president.He stated that having a Bumiputera as SUPP president was never an issue considering that the party is multi-racial. With its members consisting of all races, the former deputy chief minister believed that it was about time to practise such an approach.
“Why not? If it is a good way to win back the support of the community, let’s go through with it (on having a Bumiputera president),” he added when contacted by Utusan Borneo yesterday.
Dr Chan was commenting on reports that Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Richard Riot Jaem is prepared to become SUPP’s first non-Chinese president if he is elected at the party’s next Triennial Delegates Conference this December.
The five-term Serian MP, at a function in Serian on Sunday, clarified that all this would only happen if the majority of SUPP members are willing to break the barrier of electing a non-Chinese as the party president.
SUPP deputy secretary-general Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, when contacted, also agreed with Dr Chan’s sentiment considering that SUPP practises democracy.
“SUPP welcomes all those who wish to contest for the party’s top helm. When it comes to party leadership, the race of our members are not taken into account,” added the second finance minister.
He even highlighted that the party’s history once saw Bumiputera members outnumbering their Chinese counterparts.
“If you ask me, I would say why not. As long as the candidate gets