(From left) Hu, Cheng, Wong, Lo, Chou and Chai together with other central committee members during a photocall.
KUCHING: United People’s Party (UPP) will apply to join Barisan Nasional (BN) as a component party soon, says its secretary general George Lo.
He said they had made a resolution to join BN at its central committee meeting after a meeting with Chief Minister Datuk Pattingi Tan Sri Adenan Satem on Sunday to convey the matter.
According to Lo, Adenan welcomed the party’s application but it would have to be considered in accordance with the BN constitution.
“Subjects raised were UPP’s status and position. We asked him (CM) to affirm that UPP is still a BN Plus party, he said surely that could not be disputed because the party president is a full minister in his cabinet,” he told a press conference at party headquarters here yesterday.
“If we are not a BN Plus party how can our president be in the cabinet?” he asked.
Lo also pointed out that during the meeting they also called on the chief minister to ensure a fair and equitable allocation of positions for political secretaries, councillors, and community leaders and for appointments in government-linked companies, as UPP was a loyal BN Plus party.
He said UPP leaders were given seven seats to contest as direct BN candidates. The chief minister assured us (UPP) that this was just a technical requirement that our leaders would have to resign in order to contest under the BN banner.
“During the announcement, the chief minister did make a statement that after the election, the successful candidates could join any party that is ‘loyal’ to BN,” he said, adding it was not necessarily a BN component party.
Lo stressed that UPP had always been loyal to BN. UPP is still acknowledged as a BN Plus party and our party president is a full minister in the cabinet.
Party president Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, vice-president Desmond Cheng, advisor Dr Chou Chii Ming, treasurer-general Peter Hu, organising secretary Bruce Chai Khim Cheong and other central committee members were also present at the meeting.