KUCHING: Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) said their door is always open to former members who had left to join other parties.
Its party president Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian(pic) said he welcomes Datuk Dr Jerip Susil — who was previously in SUPP and just recently left Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) — and all other former members back to SUPP.
“For the sake of the unity of Sarawak, we need everybody to stay together. This is so important especially when leaders are asking Sarawakians to be united, as politicians themselves need to be united as well.
“Otherwise you (politicians) talk one thing, and you (politicians) mean another thing,” he told reporters after attending the launch of the ‘Mind and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Festival 2019 at Chung Hua Middle School No. 1 yesterday.
Dr Sim, who is also Batu Kawa assemblyman, said Dr Jerip and other former members are welcome back to SUPP.
“Regarding Dr Jerip, as I’ve always said in the past, we always welcome them back. The door is always open. I haven’t changed, I’m the only one consistently never changed.
“If any new members who joined them (PSB) believe in our vision and mission in fighting for Sarawak and want to join us, we welcome them all. There is no question about that,” he said.
He said in order to have the state strengthened it needs inclusiveness and not exclusiveness.
When asked should they return but with conditions, Dr Sim said, “Since when have we set conditions? We never set conditions.”
PSB, then known as United People’s Party (UPP), was formed on July 14, 2014. It is a splinter party that broke off from SUPP following a leadership crisis.
Its founder was Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh, followed by other founder members Dr Jerip, George Lo, Dr Johnical Rayong, and Datuk Ranum Mina.
Meanwhile, Dr Sim said he had presented the councillors’ list to the state Cabinet on Thursday, and it (list) has basically been adopted by the Cabinet.
“We will send it to the Tuan Yang Terutama (Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud) for endorsement in the next few days. That is why the names cannot be revealed yet. And as the chief minister said, they are just confined to the four Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) parties.
“Once TYT endorses it, we will make the announcement, and get them (councillors) to be sworn in as soon as possible.”
