Sarawak United People's Party
Encyclopedia
The Sarawak United Peoples' Party, or SUPP is a political party
in Malaysia. The party is one of the constituent members of the ruling Barisan Nasional
. It was established in 1959 mainly by leftists and working class Chinese
, many of whom were members of the underground communist movement in Sarawak
.
In the early 1960s, SUPP opposed the formation of the Malaysian state. Along with Partai Rakyat Brunei and National Pasok Momogun Party, SUPP sent a memorandum to the United Nations
demanding that the people of Northern Borneo be given right to self-determination and that the status of the area would be decided in a plebiscite.
The future of the SUPP remains uncertain after its unsuccessful performance in the Sarawak State Election held in April 2011, in which it lost most of the seats that it contested.
In the Malaysian general election, 2008
, SUPP managed to retain all of the seats it won previously. Compared to Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia
and Malaysian Chinese Association
, the party defended most of its Chinese
majority seats from falling to the opposition, losing only the Bandar Kuching
Parliamentary seat to the Democratic Action Party
.
On April 9, 2010, Datuk Robert Lau Hoi Chew
, Member of Parliament of Sibu, and also Vice-President of the Party, died due to liver cancer. Deputy Secretary-General of SUPP, Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh had announced that they are ready for the upcoming by-election. They nominated Robert Lau's cousin, Robert Lau Hui Yew to contest for the Sibu by-election on 16 May 2010.
The current president of the party is Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam who is also the Deputy Chief Minister
of the state of Sarawak.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Malaysia. The party is one of the constituent members of the ruling Barisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional is a major political coalition in Malaysia, formed in 1973 as the successor to the Alliance . Along with its predecessor, it has been Malaysia's federal ruling political force since independence...
. It was established in 1959 mainly by leftists and working class Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
, many of whom were members of the underground communist movement in Sarawak
Sarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
.
History
For the first decade of its existence, many of its members were deported from Sarawak for communist activities. Several of its senior members moved across the border into Kalimantan where they took up arms against the Sarawak government.In the early 1960s, SUPP opposed the formation of the Malaysian state. Along with Partai Rakyat Brunei and National Pasok Momogun Party, SUPP sent a memorandum to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
demanding that the people of Northern Borneo be given right to self-determination and that the status of the area would be decided in a plebiscite.
The future of the SUPP remains uncertain after its unsuccessful performance in the Sarawak State Election held in April 2011, in which it lost most of the seats that it contested.
SUPP Members of the 12th Parliament of Malaysia
- SarawakSarawakSarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
- P196 - StampinStampinStampin is a name of a district located in Kuching city in the Malaysian state of Sarawak. Administratively, it is located in the Kuching South City Council area. Most of its area is made up of the B.D.C housings and other housing estates such as Hui Sing garden & Kampung Stutong and Stampin Baru....
- Yong Khoon SengYong Khoon SengDato' Yong Khoon Seng is a Malaysian politician. He is currently the Member of the Parliament of Malaysia for the Stampin constituency in Sarawak, representing the Sarawak United Peoples' Party . He is a Deputy Minister for Works in the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition government.Yong entered... - P199 - SerianSerianSerian may refer to:* Syrian , An Italian synthpop band* Syrian Jews* Syrian Wars, a series of six wars between the Seleucid Empire and the Ptolemaic Kingdom* Ephrem the SyrianIn places:* Serian, Punjab, a town in Punjab, Pakistan...
- Richard Riot JaemRichard Riot JaemDatuk Richard Riot Jaem is a Malaysian politician. He is the Deputy Foreign Minister and currently the Member of the Parliament of Malaysia for the Serian constituency in Sarawak, representing the Sarawak United Peoples' Party in the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition... - P208 - SarikeiSarikeiSarikei is a town, and the capital of the Sarikei District in Sarikei Division, Sarawak, east Malaysia. It is located on the Rajang River, near where the river empties into the South China Sea. The district population was 56,798...
- Ding Kuong HiingDing Kuong HiingDing Kuong Hiing is a Malaysian politician. He is currently the Member of the Parliament of Malaysia for the Sarikei constituency in Sarawak, representing the Sarawak United Peoples' Party in the governing Barisan Nasional coalition.... - P211 - Lanang - Tiong Thai KingTiong Thai KingDatuk Tiong Thai King is a Malaysian politician. He is currently the Member of the Parliament of Malaysia for the Lanang constituency in Sarawak, representing the Sarawak United Peoples' Party in the governing Barisan Nasional coalition....
- P219 - MiriMiriMiri is a city in northern Sarawak, Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. It is the second largest city in Sarawak, with a population of about 300,000, and the government administrative centre of Miri District in Miri Division....
- Peter Chin Fah KuiPeter Chin Fah KuiDato' Sri Peter Chin Fah Kui , born 31 August 1945, is the current Malaysian Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water. He is a Malaysian Chinese and of Hakka descent. He has been the Member of Parliament of Miri in Malaysia since 1985 and is currently the party organising secretary of the...
- P196 - Stampin
In the Malaysian general election, 2008
Malaysian general election, 2008
The 12th Malaysian general election was held on March 8, 2008, in accordance with Malaysian laws for national elections, which states that a general election must be held no later than five years subsequent to the previous elections; the previous general election was held in 2004...
, SUPP managed to retain all of the seats it won previously. Compared to Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia
Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia
The Malaysian People's Movement Party is a political party in Malaysia. The party was founded on March 24, 1968, and , it is part of the ruling National Front coalition....
and Malaysian Chinese Association
Malaysian Chinese Association
Malaysian Chinese Association is a uni-racial political party in Malaysia that represents the Malaysian Chinese ethnicity; it is one of the three major component parties of the ruling coalition in Malaysia called the Barisan Nasional in Malay, or National Front in English.Along with the largest...
, the party defended most of its Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
majority seats from falling to the opposition, losing only the Bandar Kuching
Kuching
Kuching , officially the City of Kuching, and formerly the City of Sarawak, is the capital and most populous city of the East Malaysian state of Sarawak. It is the largest city on the island of Borneo, and the fourth largest city in Malaysia....
Parliamentary seat to the Democratic Action Party
Democratic Action Party
The Democratic Action Party, or DAP is a secular, multi-racial, social democratic Malaysian political party.The DAP is one of the three major opposition parties in Malaysia, along with the PKR and PAS, that are seen as electable alternatives to the Barisan Nasional coalition of parties...
.
On April 9, 2010, Datuk Robert Lau Hoi Chew
Robert Lau Hoi Chew
Datuk Robert Lau Hoi Chew was a Malaysian politician. He represented Sibu in the Parliament of Malaysia from 1990 until his death in 2010, and served as Deputy Minister for Transport from April 2009 until his death...
, Member of Parliament of Sibu, and also Vice-President of the Party, died due to liver cancer. Deputy Secretary-General of SUPP, Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh had announced that they are ready for the upcoming by-election. They nominated Robert Lau's cousin, Robert Lau Hui Yew to contest for the Sibu by-election on 16 May 2010.
The current president of the party is Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam who is also the Deputy Chief Minister
Chief Minister
A Chief Minister is the elected head of government of a sub-national state, provinces of Sri Lanka, Pakistan, notably a state of India, a territory of Australia or a British Overseas Territory that has attained self-government...
of the state of Sarawak.