MIRI: SUPP grassroots members and leaders have been warned to shut their doors and hearts to those who resort to using money to buy their way to the top of the party.
SUPP president Tan Sri Dr George Chan said that money politics was extremely dangerous, and members and leaders at all levels must avoid it at all cost.
The damage that this scourge could cause to SUPP would be beyond repair, he said.
Dr Chan, who is the SUPP Piasau branch chief and former Deputy Chief Minister, warned here yesterday that there were attempts by certain people to inflame clan sentiments and create ill feelings among the members and leaders of SUPP.
Those who use money to buy their way into political power and those who fan clan feelings to inflame hatred towards others must be avoided at all cost.
I have received information of this danger seeping into SUPP now during the branch election period.
I have to give stern warnings because, if we allow people to use money to buy their way into key positions, SUPP will end up as a party made up of rich people who use dirty tactics to buy positions.
We want leaders who are clean and manage to climb up to positions of power through their service record, their ability to lead and perform for the rakyat and the party and sincere and honest methods, not through dirty tactics like using money.
I for one really hate money politics. In all my life in the government and the party, never have I resorted to using money to buy peoples votes.
Even during the recent state election, when I faced the toughest challenge in my political life from the DAP, I did not use money to buy votes. The thought of using money to buy hearts never even crossed my mind.
Now, I am hearing a lot about money being used at the SUPP branch elections in some places. This must be stopped at all cost, he told The Star after chairing the Piasau SUPP branch meeting for the youth and womens sections.
Dr Chan said he did not want to see SUPP ending up as a party of rich people who were there because of money and power.
He was also disappointed that there are some within SUPP who were playing up clan issues to inflame the feelings of party members.
Commenting on claims by Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh that there might be unseen hands influencing the party elections and attempts to eliminate Foochows from the party, Dr Chan said that no such things were happening because he had never allowed clan politics to take shape.
I feel sad that there are such claims that can fan sentiments.
The Foochows have always been a key part of SUPP. Even now, they are a big and important part.
How can anyone get rid or try to get rid of them? Why would anyone want to do that? Why would we want to get rid of a big part of our party and voters? It would be like destroying ourselves, he said.
[size=150]Even in Miri, the Foochows were an important part, with them holding key posts at party and local government levels[/size], he added.
Dr Chan said when Tan Sri Dr Wong Soon Kai was the party president, he remained loyal to him without considering the fact that he was a Foochow.
He warned all segments in SUPP not to play up clan sentiments as it could have serious repercussions for the party and the state.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?fi … ec=sarawak
I didn’t know Foochows are very influential :roll: