YB Dato Sri Manyin applauds Riot’s election as SUPP deputy chief

Borneo Post December 13, 2011, Tuesday

SERIAN: PBB vice president Dato Sri Michael Manyin yesterday congratulated Serian MP Datuk Richard Riot for being elected as deputy president of fellow BN component party SUPP.
Manyin, who is assemblyman for Tebedu, which is one of two seats under Serian, said it was a great achievement considering that a fellow Bidayuh had been elected as the number two in a Chinese-based party.
“Congratulations. Good. This is good news for the Bidayuh community. That’s the first time the post is being held by a non-Chinese,” he said to reporters after presentation of land titles to Salcra participants at Kampung Bunan Gega.
On Sunday, Riot, who is also Deputy Foreign Minister and five-term Serian MP, made history after the SUPP’s central committee (CC) delegates elected him as the first non-Chinese deputy president of the party.
Riot has been a member of SUPP since May 1, 1993, having joined the party three years after he won Serian on an Independent ticket.
“Even though SUPP is a Chinese-based party, the Dayaks will be looked after, not that we were not looked after, but we are now looked upon as equal partners in SUPP.”
Manyin, who is also Minister of Infrastructure Development and Communications, and Riot are both from Kampung Pichin, near Serian.