Thursday May 10, 2012

Soon Koh’s truce call lauded by Youth chief Tan Kai

By CALVIN YEO
yeop@thestar.com.my

KUCHING: SUPP Youth chief Tan Kai has commended the party’s Sibu chief Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh for his call for a truce among members in the face of the coming general election.

He said it was right for Wong to make the call as the party’s internal affairs should not be made public.

“Most of the public are not interested in the party’s internal issues. They are looking at bigger issues such as the country’s economic situation, racial harmony, and more importantly, its transformation,” he said.

Wong had said that differences within the party should be set aside for now so that SUPP could concentrate on the coming polls.

“Whatever the differences we have, leave them aside first so that we can focus on the coming general election. If you want to quarrel, do it only after the elections,” he said two days ago.

Wong, who is Second Finance Minister and Local Government and Community Development Minister, was responding to Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud’s call for feuding parties and factions within Barisan Nasional component parties to bury the hatchet for the sake of unity and strength of the coalition.

Making the call at a function in Mukah two days ago, Taib stressed that unity was a vital factor in ensuring Barisan’s victory in the elections.

He also appealed to Barisan leaders not to be narrow minded and urged them to look at the bigger picture instead of quarrelling among themselves.

SUPP Women chief Tnay Li Ping said she was glad to hear Wong’s statement.

“Everyone of us should work as a team. We must accept all the differences or else the puzzle will never be completed,” she said.

SUPP Youth secretary-general Wilfred Yap said all party members should now fully concentrate on the elections to ensure a resounding victory by winning all the seven parliamentary seats allocated to the party.

“Nothing is impossible if all SUPP members set their minds and hearts to it.

“With the support of the other component parties and coupled with the internal bickering between DAP and PKR, SUPP might even win back Bandar Kuching.”

According to Yap, candidates also weighed on the voters’ preference.

He said young voters, being more educated and exposed, were likely to reject candidates who had not performed to their expectations.

“The younger voters are now more interested in action-oriented candidates,” he said.

SUPP was embroiled in a leadership crisis when Wong decided to go for the party presidency end of last year, facing off against Datuk Seri Peter Chin.

Wong, however, boycotted the party elections, alleging the polls were rigged by his rivals.

News

Thursday May 10, 2012

Soon Koh’s truce call lauded by Youth chief Tan Kai

By CALVIN YEO yeop@thestar.com.my

By CALVIN YEO
yeop@thestar.com.my