Supp to fish in opposition waters
Malaysiakini.com
Nov 27, 2006
Tony Thien

Sarawak United People's Party (Supp) is likely to sound more like an opposition party as it rebuilds to gain back public confidence after its poor showing in the state elections held in May. 

Party chief Dr George Chan, also deputy chief minister, today announced that issues affecting the civil service have been added to a list drawn up for Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud’s attention. The party would like to see these being resolved before the next elections.

Other issues listed are on land lease renewal, native customary rights (NCR) land and Chinese education.

However, the decision to take up the matter of NCR land could touch a raw nerve as the chief minister’s relatives and political supporters have allegedly benefited from the issuance of land leases for hundreds of thousands of hectares involving NCR land.

Many natives have gone to court to challenge the issuance of land leases to plantation and logging companies on the grounds this has violated native customary laws.

Opposition parties, especially DAP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), have also been vocal in urging state authorities to provide annual funding to help independent Chinese schools and mission schools with repairs and maintenance and to build new classrooms to cater to increasing intake.

Now not to be outdone, at least in the eyes of the non-Malay community, Supp wants to raise the issue of recruitment and appointments in the state civil service.

After the party lost eight of the 19 seats contested in May, it received feedback on various problems and issues.

It has since formulated a Forward Plan to win back public support, confidence and trust. The Plan is to be tabled at the party's special delegates conference on Dec 10 before several hundred delegates from the 35 branches in the state. 
    
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