KUCHING, Dec 8 — Despite changing its name from United People’s Party (UPP) to Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB), its president Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh said it will not change its characteristics as a multi-racial party.
He said the party leaders will always make sure that the multi-racial principle will be PSB’s strength.
“We will have the courage and political will to reject communalism or racism in any form,” he said at the opening of the UPP extraordinary delegates conference (EDC) where the party was rebranded as PSB following an amendment to its constitution.
Wong, who is also the state Minister of International Trade and e-Commerce, said PSB will condemn all forms of extremism, radicalism, racism or even chauvinism and parochialism in the country.
He said PSB will not be shackled by emotions and it will open itself to a broader, more encompassing perspective.
Ahead of the state election due in 2021, Wong urged the party’s cyber-troopers to beef up their efforts and skills in the cyber-war exchanges with the Opposition.
“I would like to call all our members, particularly the younger members, to form a team of cyber-troopers who are well-equipped and well-trained to counter the Opposition in the cyberspace media,” he said.
Wong admitted that party members are far behind the Opposition in the so-called cyberwar of words and propaganda.
“The opposition, particularly, the DAP is using its cyber-troopers to generate a great deal of spin, half-truths and misinformation to great effect, appealing to the emotion of the people, particularly the younger ones,” he said.
He said their appeal for change through social media triggered much excitement, adding that the young people who were influenced by social media, persuaded and told their parents to vote for the Opposition in the last 14th general election.
Wong said the then Barisan Nasional lost heavily in the urban areas and a “smaller proportion” of the rural people voted for the Opposition in the GE14 in Sarawak.
