Assemblyman asked to apologise over remarks party’s Iban members easily influenced by money politics

SIBU: Iban SUPP members here are demanding an apology from Datuk Dr Soon Choon Teck for his remarks about their participation in the SUPP Sibu Branch election last Nov 9.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, SUPP Sibu Unit Bumiputra chairman Andrew Shilling said what Dr Soon had stated in yesterday’s Chinese dailies was not only an attempt to divide party members into Chinese and Iban but also an insult to the Iban community.

Andrew, who did not name the Chinese dailies, apparently was unhappy about at least two subjects said to have been said by Dr Soon.

Andrew, who is also a political secretary to the Chief Minister, accused Dr Soon of hinting that the party’s Iban members had dominated the election when he (Dr Soon) claimed that out of the 1,500 members voting, 1,000 were Iban.

“This is untrue. There were 1,546 eligible members voting that day. Out of these, 616 votes were cast by the Iban party members; the rest (which is 954) were by our Chinese comrades,” Andrew said. He said 38.29 per cent were Iban and 61.71 per cent were Chinese.

“Besides, we were merely exercising our rights to vote just like SUPP’s Chinese members,” Andrew said of the participation in the election by Iban members of SUPP.

“We fail to understand why Dr Soon has kept harping on our participation (in SUPP Sibu Branch election),” Andrew added.

Among those present at the press conference yesterday were the party’s Iban members from the state seats of Bukit Assek, Dudong, Bawang Assan, Nangka and Pelawan.

The second subject that Andrew was unhappy about was what he claimed as Dr Soon’s hinting that SUPP’s Iban members were easily influenced by money politics in that election.

Andrew said while he accepted that the socio-economic position of the Iban community was “still generally behind others”, Dr Soon was being unfair in choosing to use the community’s weaker financial background to say that they would be easily influenced by money politics.

“This is unfair. His statement has undermined our loyalty and credibility in the party. This is most insulting and Dr. Soon owes us an apology,” Andrew said. He said in so many elections, SUPP Iban members had been working hard with other party members and supporters.

“Our hard work and support have contributed to the victory of Dr Soon in all four state elections in Dudong,” Andrew said.

“Now Dr Soon has clearly undermined our political wisdom by questioning our party loyalty and hinting that we can be easily induced (to do things against our better judgement) by money.

“He owes the Iban community an apology,” Andrew added.