Up to BN leaders to consider reconciliation, says Wong

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SIBU: United People’s Party (UPP) protem president Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh is leaving the question of reconciliation of his party with Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) to the wisdom of Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders. After all, he said, UPP had been treated as part of BN all this while.

Wong presents the letter to Kapitan Datuk Janet Lau, who is chairman of UPP Pelawan branch.

“In fact we were invited to participate in the Head of State’s birthday parade together with Parti Tenaga Rakyat Sarawak (Teras),” he said when asked if there was ground for reconciliation with SUPP now that it has a new president.

Wong told reporters this after presenting approval letters from the Registrar of Societies (ROS) to set up UPP branches at his office in Wisma Sanyan here yesterday.

The letters were for UPP Bawang Assan, Pelawan, Dudong and Bukit Assek branches. He said the party planned to set up 24 branches across the state in three months, and the party would write to ROS for approval to set up the branches.

The party would also write to the ROS to allow it to set up a branch in Sri Aman as well, he told reporters. Wong, who is state assemblyman for Bawang Assan, said UPP “will be a very focused multi-racial party and its leaders will always be on the ground to serve the people more efficiently and competently”.

“In those branches where we have many Bumiputera members, we will set up separate offices for them as issues from the longhouses and rural areas are different from those in the towns and cities,” he said.

He said the party’s first triennial delegates conference was scheduled to be held in Kuching by the end of November.

On another matter, Wong who is Second Finance Minister and Minister of Local Government and Community Development, said he welcomed former SUPP members to join UPP.

“If they agree to our ideological pursuit and if they think that UPP is a better choice and alternative to carry on with our political struggle within BN, they are welcome.

“We are all in BN,” he said, adding that UPP’s emphasis was to recruit more people, particularly among the young and professionals.

On Bawang Assan, Pelawan, Dudong and Bukit Assek branches, he said they targeted to have 15,000 members including 6,000 Bumiputeras.

“We aim at quantity but at the same time we also look at quality because members who join us have to serve the people with dedication and commitment, and play an active part in the party.

“Furthermore, they must believe in BN’s concept of bringing in unity and solidarity for the people of Sarawak,” he said.