Kuching: DAP Sarawak Green Road Branch Deputy Secretary Chong Hong Hien has hit back at remarks by SUPP Stakan Branch Chairman Sim Kiang Chiok regarding Mordi Bimol’s appointment as Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, calling them misleading and narrow-minded.
In a statement, Chong said that whether it is the creation of new constituencies or the expansion of the Sarawak cabinet, SUPP has consistently cloaked its political maneuvers under the banner of “increasing Sarawak’s representation.”
“Yet, when a Sarawakian of Bidayuh background—Mordi—was genuinely appointed into the executive arm of the federation as a deputy minister, SUPP was the first to launch an attack on DAP Sarawak. Such blatant inconsistency is both hypocritical and contemptible.
“May I ask SUPP, among all the so-called efforts it has long championed to ‘increase Sarawak’s representation,’ which is more direct and more impactful than enabling a representative from the Sarawak Bidayuh community to enter the federal executive leadership?” Chong questioned.
He said many leaders from Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) had congratulated Mordi on his appointment, recognising its significance beyond party lines.
Chong added that SUPP, as a component party of GPS, should have similarly welcomed the appointment rather than issuing remarks he described as absurd.
“Sim Kiang Chiok’s comments clearly expose SUPP’s jealousy over DAP Sarawak’s success in advancing a Bidayuh representative into the federal cabinet,” he said.
According to Chong, Mordi’s appointment is not merely a personal achievement but a breakthrough in Sarawak’s political history.
“Regrettably, at such a historic moment, SUPP has once again chosen to act with a disgraceful sour grapes mentality, completely disregarding Sarawak’s broader interests. For a long time, what the federal administrative system has sorely lacked is the genuine voice of the Bidayuh community and, more broadly, the Dayak peoples.
“Mordi’s appointment as deputy minister precisely fills this long-standing structural gap. He represents not only DAP Sarawak but also the entire Bidayuh community. This is something Sim Kiang Chiok, as a senior SUPP leader, cannot possibly be unaware of,” Chong stressed.
Chong further pointed out that SUPP was by no means without the capacity to advance a Bidayuh representative into the federal administration. In fact, Serian MP Dato Sri Dr. Richard Riot Jaem possesses extensive political experience and is fully capable of assuming such a role.
“However, at this critical juncture to meaningfully enhance diversity within the federal government, SUPP chose to sideline him, thereby squandering a valuable opportunity to make the federal administration more inclusive.
“Mordi’s appointment as a federal deputy minister is undoubtedly an occasion worthy of celebration for all Sarawakians,” he said.
He emphasised that having a Member of Parliament from a Sarawak minority community in the cabinet will only make the federal government more diverse and better reflect the people’s voices.
“SUPP should not allow its political animosity towards Sarawak DAP to blind it into treating what is clearly good for Sarawak as a target of attack,” he said.
