Dr Jerip (front row, fifth left), Dr Rayong (third right) and Ranum (second right) with UPP Bengoh members displaying the party flag at the special dinner in Siburan.
KUCHING: At the official opening of United People’s Party (UPP) branch in Bengoh, its newly-installed chairman Datuk Dr Jerip Susil promised to ‘rectify things’ for the people in the state constituency.
During the dinner to mark the opening at Siburan near here on Monday, Dr Jerip said change was necessary for the constituency as most of the Bumiputera-majority areas represented by his former party, Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) were constantly being threatened by the Opposition.
According to him, this was due the internal conflicts besetting SUPP which made the Bengoh folk lose confidence in the party.
“I for one am sick of what’s going in the party (SUPP) because we need to focus on what matters most, that is serving the people and listening to their needs,” he said.
To him, adding that in order for Barisan Nasional (BN) to secure Bengoh, a new party must represent the constituents there.
He also reminded the Bengoh people that UPP was in the BN family; not an opposition party as claimed by some quarters.
At the same time, he assured that no community leader would have their post stripped off should they decide to support UPP.
Among others at the dinner were assemblymen Dr Johnical Rayong (Engkilili) and Ranum Mina (Opar).
In his speech, Dr Rayong concurred with Dr Jerip that there was no concrete basis in calling UPP an opposition party.
He revealed that a community leader from Batu Niah was not afraid of being removed as a community leader when he recently voiced his support for UPP as he was sure that he had made the right decision.
“After he voiced his support for UPP, he was promoted from Kapitan to Penghulu two weeks ago.
“He still supports UPP today. That only goes to show that he did the right thing and the people of Bengoh should take that as an example,” he said.
Ranum, who also spoke at the function, commented that he together with Dr Jerip and Dr Rayong all had faith in UPP’s pioneering committee chairman Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh to lead the party and hoped that the Bengoh constituents would do the same.
“Wong has what it takes to run a party. He is experienced and under his guidance, UPP will serve the people well,” he pointed out.