KUCHING, Aug 2: Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) has challenged Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) president Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh to reveal the name of the new Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) chairperson.
SUPP Pelawan secretariat said they found it strange that PSB, in a media statement, claimed to know that the new SMC chairperson would be a non-Chinese.
“PSB seems to know the identity of the new SMC chairman, as if Wong Soon Koh himself has a hand in the matter,” the branch said in a statement today.
SUPP Pelawan also rebutted PSB’s statement, which accused party president Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian for giving away Chinese rights and interests once he became the Local Government and Housing Minister.
“Before PSB make accusations against SUPP, PSB should get a mirror for their party president to look at himself.
“For the past 20 years, Wong was the only state minister in Sibu. His portfolio included Minister for Infrastructure Development and Transportation, Minister for Environment and Public Health, Minister for Local government and Community Development, Minister for International Trade and E-commerce and Second Minister for finance.
“But most importantly, he is also the minister of Sibu.”
SUPP Pelawan opined that infrastructure in Sibu remained undeveloped for 20 years despite Wong overseeing various ministries in the Sarawak government.
“The most obvious one is the Old Oya Road, which continues to be plagued with daily traffic jam. Furthermore, Jalan Ding Lik Kong, Jalan Ulu Sungai Merah, as well as the Airport Road, are all infamous for traffic jams and poor conditions,” the statement continued.
The branch further pointed out that Rejang Park residents have been forced to bear with the broken central sewage system, putting up with unpleasant odour for many years.
“Yet all these issues were never brought up. Only through SUPP Pelawan’s persistent requests made to the state government, that our chief minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg approved RM3 million to repair the said sewerage system.”
According to the branch, many had expressed shock when Abang Johari announced the reason Sibu lacked development over the years due to unavailability of a development master plan.
“It clearly shows our Sibu minister had not been discharging his duties for Sibu,” it said.
SUPP Pelawan added that the party lost the Sibu Rural District Council Chairmanship to the then Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP), now known as PDP, in 2004, while Wong was Infrastructure Minister.
The position has not been returned to SUPP until today, it continued.
SUPP Pelawan also believed that more in-fighting had occurred in SUPP Sibu under Wong’s leadership, before he left the party in 2014.
“Although Wong had since left SUPP and formed his own political party, Wong and PSB seems to continue to crave for more power games than speaking up for Sarawak rights and people issues,” it said. — DayakDaily
