The Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) faces a combination of internal conflicts and external challenges as it heads towards the 13th Sarawak State Election. These issues are not recent developments; rather, they are long-standing grievances that have frequently been swept under the rug to preserve party unity and maintain harmony within the ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) coalition of which SUPP is a key component party.
This component party’s internal friction dates back to the 2021 Sarawak Election in the Kuching branch. Instead of selecting a candidate from the Kuching branch which oversees the Padungan seat, Kuching South City Hall (MBKS) Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng was parachuted in. Wee joined SUPP Pending branch before the election prior and was shortly entrusted with the Padungan candidacy. This decision triggered a severe backlash from the Kuching branch.
