Sarawak United Peoples' Party

History

Being the first local political party, the origins Sarawak United Peoples' Party (SUPP) are tied to Sarawak's history of the 20th century political awakening. After World War II, the last Rajah of Sarawak, Charles Vyner Brooke ceded Sarawak to Britain in 1946, turning it into an official British Crown Colony to the dismay of many locals. This eventually gave rise to local anti-cession and anti-imperialist movements that further sparked local political consciousness. The triggering event was the proclamation of Sarawak's Constitution of 1959 which fell short of expectations for many who hoped to see significant progress towards self-governance. The need for an organised political front to champion Sarawakian interests finally led to the formation of SUPP on 4 June 1959, with Ong Kee Hui as its founding president. With a "Sarawak for Sarawakians" ideology – SUPP's movement gained widespread support, including winning big in the local elections of November 1959, alarming the then ruling British colonial government. When the proposal for Federation of Malaysia was first mooted in 1961, SUPP came out strongly to oppose the idea. Ong argued for Sarawak's independence before setting up a greater federation.

In December 1962, the British colonial government launched a crackdown on all dissenting groups in Sarawak. Many party members were detained, some even deported from Sarawak for alleged communist activities as, at the time, some members had links with Communist-affiliated organisations.Ong Kee Hui and Stephen Yong seemed to be aware, they held that while some members were more radical, they needed a political outlet, and the party could guide them to become a moderate, positive force. Nonetheless, SUPP still did well at the Sarawak elections of June 1963 but it left one-seat-short of a majority to form government, thus it remained as the opposition party. On 22 July 1963, Sarawak gained independent self-governance from Britain. On 16 September, Sarawak together with the Federation of Malaya, Singapore and North Borneo (Sabah) jointly founded the Federation of Malaysia. In June 1965, the government launched “Operation Hammer” to counter prevailing communist threats. Party leaders vehemently protested when about 10,000 Sarawakians men, women and children were forced to resettle under curfew – surrounded by barb-wire fencing – including more than a hundred SUPP members. Party leaders initiated daily visits to the resettlement centres to monitor the welfare of the detainees, but later, even this was barred by the government.

In May 1969, due to 13 May riots in Peninsular Malaysia, an Emergency Proclamation was declared across the country, suspending an ongoing elections in Sarawak. When the Sarawak elections resumed in 1970, SUPP emerged as the single party with largest number of votes, but no party has control of majority seats to form a government. Considering that this crisis for a functioning government occurred at a time when, on one hand, a state of turmoil post-13 May was still present, while on the other hand, people were rounded-up and detained without trial – SUPP accepted the invitation to form a coalition government to stabilise the situation. In exchange, the government agreed to SUPP demand that party secretary-general Stephen Yong be appointed to the State Operations Committee (the security directorate) so that the party can influence counter-insurgency operations to look after the welfare of SUPP detainees including Chinese settlers, in the resettlement centres. In the ensuing years, SUPP generally had wide support at the polls even during the 2008 Malaysian general election where most of its allies suffered.

However, it is no stranger to major setbacks at the polls: In the 1996 Sarawak election, its then president, the late Wong Soon Kai was defeated and thereafter decided to retire from politics. A similar situation happened in 2011 Sarawak election when the then party president, George Chan Hong Nam was unseated. It also lost at the Sibu by-election of 2010. In the 2013 Malaysian general election, the party won only 1 out of 7 seats contested. Not long after, Wong Soon Koh, who was then the deputy secretary-general, left with his faction and eventually set up a separate splinter-party with a similar-sounding name, called United People's Party (UPP).

A positive turnaround was marked in the 2016 Sarawak election when SUPP, with current party president Sim Kui Hian at the helm, went on to win 7 seats out of 15 contested. After establishing new leadership line-up and reforms including amending the party constitution to limit the tenure of the president himself, the party placed renewed focus on the pursuit of more Sarawakian autonomous power and rights within Malaysia based on the unique contexts of the federation's formation, as originally outlined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963, Inter-Governmental Committee Report, and the Report of the Cobbold Commission.

Organisational structure

Central Working Committee (2025–2027)

Source:

• President:
  • Sim Kui Hian
• Deputy Presidents:
  • Richard Riot Jaem
  • Lee Kim Shin
• Vice Presidents:
  • Ding Kuong Hiing
  • Huang Tiong Sii
  • Michael Tiang Ming Tee
  • Joseph Chieng Jin Ek
• Chairman of Youth Section:
  • Kevin Lau Kor Jie
• Chairwoman of Women Section:
  • Kho Teck Wan
• Secretary-General:
  • Sebastian Ting Chiew Yew
• Deputy Secretaries-General:
  • Lo Khere Chiang
  • Johnny Pang Leong Ming
• Treasurer:
  • Francis Harden Hollis
• Assistant Treasurer:
  • Wilfred Yap Yau Sin
• Organising Secretary:
  • Matthew Chen Thin Kong
• Assistant Organising Secretary:
  • Billy Sujang
• Information and Publicity Secretary:
  • Adam Yii Siew Sang
• Assistant Information and Publicity Secretary:
  • Wong Ching Yong
• Members elected by Central Committee:
  • Robert Lau Hui Yew
  • Sih Hua Tong
  • Lim Ah Ted
  • Andrew Victor Nub William Tanyuh
  • Kua Jack Seng
  • Jong Yean Pin
• Members appointed from Non-Constituency Branches:
  • Michael Tiong Hok Choon
  • Danny Banjang
  • Calvin Goh Chin Seng
• Members appointed by Party President:
  • Chua Beng Seng
  • Wong Zee Yeng

Elected representatives

Dewan Negara (Senate)

Senators

Main article: Members of the Dewan Negara, 15th Malaysian Parliament

• His Majesty's appointee:
  • Robert Lau Hui Yew

Dewan Rakyat (House of Representatives)

Members of Parliament of the 15th Malaysian Parliament

Main article: Members of the Dewan Rakyat, 15th Malaysian Parliament

SUPP only has 2 MP in the House of Representatives.

Dewan Undangan Negeri (State Legislative Assembly)

Malaysian State Assembly Representatives

Main article: List of Malaysian State Assembly Representatives (2022–present)

Sarawak State Legislative Assembly

Government offices

Ministerial posts

State governments

Since post-election talks after 1969 Sarawak state election SUPP took part as junior partner in PBB-led governments

• Sarawak (1970–present) Note: bold as Premier/Chief Minister, italic as junior partner

Election results

General election results

State election results

Notes

References

References

1. Matthew Umpang. (29 April 2018). "BN Sarawak different from their counterparts in Sabah, Peninsular Malaysia – SUPP". The Borneo Post.
2. (12 June 2018). "Sarawak BN parties pull out of coalition to form independent state-based pact". The Star.
3. Ung-Ho Chin. (1996). "Chinese Politics in Sarawak: A Study of the Sarawak United People's Party". Oxford University Press.
4. John Drysdale. (15 December 2008). "Singapore Struggle for Success". Marshall Cavendish International Asia Pte Ltd.
5. Ooi Keat Gin. (11 May 2009). "Historical Dictionary of Malaysia". Scarecrow Press.
6. (October 1966). "Communism in Sarawak Today". University of California Press.
7. (16 September 2011). "Saga of communist insurgency in Sarawak". The Borneo Post.
8. Vernon L. Porritt. (2004). "The Rise and Fall of Communism in Sarawak, 1940-1990". Monash Asia Institute.
9. (12 April 2008). "S'wak 'shields' balance". The Borneo Post.
10. Andy Chua. (22 March 2017). "Former Sarawak deputy chief minister Wong passes away". The Star.
11. Richard T.W.. (13 May 2017). "UPP and SUPP: A brief history of squabbling Chinese 'brothers'". Free Malaysia Today.
12. Yu Ji. (17 September 2014). "Amending SUPP constitution". The Star.
13. (13 December 2015). "Re-examine Malaysia Agreement, Dr Sim urges federal govt". The Borneo Post.
14. (2 March 2016). "SUPP president can serve for 3 terms only — Dr Sim". The Borneo Post.
15. (13 December 2015). "沈桂贤多次国会反映 权益侵蚀砂人不快乐续为砂人请命". See Hua Daily News.
16. (2025). "Central Working Committee 2025 – 2027".