SIBU – Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) President Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing has accused the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) of hypocrisy and behind-the-scenes manipulation in the appointment of community leaders in Dudong and Bawang Assan.
Responding to the recent ceremony where Sarawak Deputy Premier and SUPP President Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian handed out appointment letters to community leaders and tuai rumah, Tiong said if SUPP truly believes PDP’s participation is unnecessary including in the upcoming elections, it should state so openly instead of resorting to unilateral actions.
“If this is SUPP’s position, then be transparent and say it clearly. Do not override consensus decisions through backdoor arrangements,” he said in a statement.
Tiong said the appointments had been transparently discussed by the Selection Committee, where consensus was reached.
However, several names were subsequently added, removed or replaced without authorisation.
“If that is how decisions are handled, then we might as well dissolve the Selection Committee and allow one individual to decide everything,” he remarked.
He stressed that appointments of community leaders and tuai rumah must proceed with the consent of the local elected representatives, adding that bypassing PDP’s elected representatives amounted to political disrespect.
“This violates our cultural and political norms and humiliates our coalition partnership within Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS),” he said.
Tiong further argued that the authority to appoint community leaders belongs to the grassroots and longhouse communities, not to any single political party.
“No party has the right to monopolise or manipulate this process. To claim otherwise is dishonest and disregards the people’s will,” he said, warning that such actions would only deepen divisions and fuel confrontation.
He also questioned the reinstatement of certain Kapitans who, according to him, had lost public trust after being absent during recent floods. He claimed that candidates rejected at the grassroots level were reintroduced at the last minute in the name of the State Secretary.
“This raises serious questions, was this done to serve personal political interests?” he asked.
Tiong described the move as a clear political overreach that violated long-standing norms within GPS, adding that PDP leaders were informed only at the last minute about the ceremony, resulting in their absence.
“That was a deliberate act of humiliation which we cannot accept,” he said.
He noted that similar interference was not seen in constituencies held by PBB or PRS, questioning whether PDP was being singled out ahead of elections.
“This is not partnership. It is an attempt to dominate,” he said.
While stating that he had no intention of offending anyone, Tiong stressed that respect must be mutual.
“I am willing to extend respect, but only to those who conduct themselves in a manner worthy of respect,” he said. -MalayaDailyToday
