By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, April 2: Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) president Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian said the expulsion of its Kuching branch chairperson Datuk Lily Yong is now under legal proceedings, and he is therefore unable to comment on the matter.
According to TVS Rebao, Dr Sim, who is also Deputy Premier, highlighted that the party’s secretary-general, Datuk Sebastian Ting, will issue an official statement to provide further clarification.
“Because this is a legal process, I cannot comment. When legal proceedings are ongoing, how can I comment? If I am later summoned to court, then I will follow the legal process,” he said when met by the media after officiating Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) Sarawak Integrity Day at a hotel here yesterday (April 1).
The decision by the SUPP Central Working Committee (CWC) to expel Yong and Kuching branch secretary Voong Nam Jin stems from allegations linked to the Kenyalang Gold Card (KGC) programme. Both were served official notices of their expulsion on March 16 and have 30 days to appeal to the party’s Central Committee, with the deadline falling around April 15 or 16.
The expulsions are understood to have arisen from a complaint dated July 3, 2025, involving alleged irregularities related to the KGC programme, a Sarawak government initiative that provides benefits and discounts to senior citizens.
On July 2, 2025, SUPP Kuching Branch issued a public statement stating it would not be held responsible for actions by certain members allegedly involved in improper practices in the application and issuance of the welfare cards, following suspicions of falsification.
The matter was reported to the Welfare Department and party leadership, and was later highlighted by Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak, which subsequently lodged a police report over the alleged misuse of data to apply for and distribute counterfeit or non-compliant cards.
SUPP Kuching Branch is currently led by acting chairman Jong Yean Pin and acting secretary Nicholas Wung. The branch has since formed a legal taskforce to review the grounds and evidence behind the expulsions, jointly led by Jong and Wung with support from several lawyers within the branch. — DayakDaily
