SIBU, June 20 — Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Bawang Assan branch has been advised to recruit more young Bumiputera members in order to win back the Sibu parliamentary seat in the 15th general election.
SUPP treasurer Datuk Francis Harden Hollis said that based on statistics, Bawang Assan has many existing Bumiputera members but needs to recruit more members so that their strength gets stronger.
“We need to get between 6,000 and 8,000 new Bumiputera members.
“From there we can get more Bumiputera votes so that we can take back the Sibu seat in the general election,” he said during the joint installation ceremony for SUPP Pelawan and SUPP Bawang Assan branches here yesterday, which included a ‘Ngiling Bidai’.
SUPP president and Deputy Premier Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian was the guest of honour.
Harden, who is Deputy Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development II, said that Sibu and Lanang voters “have suffered the consequences” of being denied annual allocation, as both seats are under the Opposition.
The situation would be different if the seats were under Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), he said.
“At the state level, our ‘bubu’ (fish trap) is full but at the federal level, our ‘abau’ (also fish trap) is empty. It is better if we can have both ‘bubu’ and ‘abau’ full of catch.” He urged SUPP members to work together with GPS component parties in the next general election.
Earlier, SUPP Pelawan chairman Clarence Ting made a similar call to SUPP members to cooperate with GPS component parties to wrest back Sibu and Lanang in the election.
“Sibu has been under the opposition for 10 years. That is why this time, voters particularly in Bawang Assan, listen to me. If GPS does not win Sibu and Lanang this election, all things will remain the same for the next five years.
“We together with other component parties must work together to win Sibu and Lanang. For SUPP members, we must stay united and we must remember we are serving the people and we are doing it together,” he said.
The Sibu parliamentary seat is currently held by Oscar Ling, while Lanang is under Alice Lau, both of Democratic Action Party (DAP).
Among those at yesterday’s event were SUPP Bawang Assan chairman Senator Robert Lau, SUPP Bawang Assan advisor Temenggong Dato Vincent Lau, Deputy Minister for Public Health, Housing and Local Government II Michael Tiang, Bukit Assek assemblyman Joseph Chieng, Sibu Rural District Council chairman Sempurai Petrus Ngelai, and Temenggong Stanley Geramong.’ — Borneo Post Online
