SIBU: The Bawang Assan Bumiputera Unit of United People’s Party (UPP) at Tuanku Osman Road Lane 4 here officially began operation yesterday.
(Seated from third left) Andrew, Wong, political secretary to the chief minister Pau Kiew Chuan and members of UPP Bawang Assan Bumiputra Unit.
Unit chief Andrew Shiling said the office would cater to all communities, especially Bumiputeras in Bawang Assan.
“This will be our Bumiputera unit headquarters. Sibu UPP office will be set up soon and maybe they will spare us a room for the Bumiputera Unit, but our centre is here,” he said.
He said with the state election getting nearer, the Bumiputera Unit had been on the ground for three days.
“We received very encouraging response over the last three days and we have another five more days to go,” he said.
He believes the people in Bawang Assan will definitely support the UPP pioneer and chairman-designate Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh.
He also pointed out that it is clear that UPP is one of the Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties.
“We are still part and parcel of BN and we will work for the best of BN,” he said.
He also said that they would put up the signboard of the new office on Sept 9 at 9am.
Meanwhile, Wong in his address said the Bumiputera Unit office was important as they could not wait for the Sibu UPP headquarters to be set up.
He said they had identified a place but no agreement had been signed yet.
“Bumiputera service must go on, so through the help of Andrew Shiling and other councillors we now have this office.
“This is not too far away from the bus station and jetty, so I hope that our Bumiputera members will make full use of the office,” he said.
He said being a multi-racial party, UPP would move forward with some emphasis on urban community.
“UPP is a party through which we hope to rejuvenate the spirit of SUPP (Sarawak United People’s Party) of the early days when people of all communities could work together and give full support to BN,” he said.
He acknowledged that presently there was political polarisation, with the Bumiputera community behind BN and urban voters, particularly Chinese voters, drifting away.
“We hope to be able to recapture as many as possible our lost seats because we know that UPP is in the BN family,” he said. He also said there was much work to be done in the Bawang Assan area.