Press Digest - SUPP and UPP to mend fences

PETALING JAYA: United People's Party (UPP) and Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) will hold a top-level meeting to mend fences after the Chinese New Year.
State politicians, particularly those from the ruling coalition, are waiting with bated breath to see if the meeting would lead to UPP, a splinter party from SUPP, the state's oldest party, returning to its fold.
According to a report in China Press today, UPP president Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh has said privately that his party is willing to hold a round-table talk with top leaders of SUPP to consolidate their voices in the state government and fight for greater benefits for the Chinese community.
Asked to comment on the UPP's goodwill gesture, SUPP president Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hien said it was something beyond his wildest dreams, adding that the party's doors "are always open".
He said the party is ready for the meeting and hoped that some kind of unity formula would come out of the proposed talks.
The report said following Wong's overtures to SUPP, leaders from the two parties are to hold a closed-door meeting after the Spring Festival,
However, it is still anyone's guess whether the talks are confined to party-to-party cooperation or would broach the subject of UPP returning to SUPP's fold.
According to Wong, what UPP wants is for the Chinese in the state to stay united and for the community to have better representation in the state government.
He said for this to happen, the party's leaders are willing to talk with SUPP top brass and make some concessions.
However, he declined to drop any hint of the so-called concessions.
Meanwhile, Sim said he hoped to see UPP leaders returning to SUPP's fold.
Wong and a few former SUPP leaders left the party in 2014 to set up UPP following a protracted party infighting.
In the last state election, UPP won five seats, two fewer than SUPP.
Due to objections from SUPP, the BN-friendly UPP has not been able to join the state BN.
However, in an arrangement unique to Sarawak, Wong holds the second finance minister portfolio in the state Cabinet.