Seeing themselves as transformers

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MIRI: Stating that continually looking backwards is bad for political health, SPDP Youth believes that looking towards the future in unison is the best thing to do to grow strong.

And they have been in this transformation mode the past two years, interacting closely with people on the ground using a myriad of communication platforms, understanding their lifestyles, and helping them solve problems without much fanfare.

Its chief Robert Ayu said this low-profile approach in engaging the younger generation was inspired by the prime minister’s transformation programmes for the economy, government and politics, and it had borne significant results for SPDP Youth.

“A lot more transformations would be coming in the coming years, and we believe this is the right way forward as the old style would not attract the young. In fact, our recent functions using non-protocol approaches were a huge success,” he told The Borneo Post here yesterday.

Robert, who will not challenged in the party’s triennial general meeting (TGM) to be held in Bintulu this weekend,
said for instance its education bureau had been hard at work helping school leavers gain entry into local universities last year, but not many people knew this.

“Without much fanfare, we helped nearly 80 students gain entry into local universities. In addition, we also reached out to rural longhouses and villages, and conveyed their yearnings for basic infrastructure and amenities to the relevant authorities.”

Robert admitted SPDP Youth still had plenty of weaknesses, but concerted efforts would be put in to address them step-by-step.

Touching on Puteri SPDP, he remarked that the good response to the movement’s dinners in Kuching and Miri recently boded well for the party in attracting more youths among its ranks.

They could then be trained to become future leaders of the party and country.

“At these (Puteri) functions, I noticed that there were no gaps between us and this young crowd. And because of this, we are going to register the Putera wing after the TGA.”

Robert said his boys had long realised that they had to work hard to rope in young voters as most of them were fence sitters.

Asked to share this plans for his new term as SPDP Youth chief, Robert said focus would be on enhancing unity and focusing on what lies ahead instead of looking backyards.

“What is past is past. What is more important is moving forward, ” he said, in an apparent reference to the episode involving the five elected representatives who were sacked from the party recently for gross insubordination.

The five are Assistant Minister for Public Utilities Datuk Sylvester Entri Muran (Marudi assemblyman), Assistant Minister for Early Childhood Education and Family Development Rosey Yunus (Bekenu), Assistant Minister for Industrial Development Datuk Peter Nansian Ngusie (Tasik Biru), Paulus Palu Gumbang (Batu Danau), and Datuk Dr Tiki Lafe (Mas Gading).

The Youth Wing will hold its election on March 16, while the central party elections would be from March 17 to 18 at Bintulu Civic Centre.