Wong (seated left) and wife Datin Sri Leong Poh Ling with his family at his residence in Sibu during the first day of the Chinese New Year. Standing behind (from left) are Wong’s son Dato Andrew Wong Kee Yew with his wife Datin Li Li Toh and their daughter Natasha Wong and son Sean Wong.
SIBU: United People’s Party (UPP) president Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh intends to use his remaining political years to pursue greater Chinese unity and greater Chinese representation in the Barisan Nasional (BN) government in ensuring a stronger state government.
Speaking to The Borneo Post at his residence on the first day of Chinese New Year, he said it was high time for both UPP and SUPP leaders who are all in the BN family to sit down together to consider the interest of the whole Chinese community in the state.
“I am open for any discussion or talk for the leaders from the two parties to come together as was before whenever there were opportunities initiated by us or arranged by any third party.
“I strongly believe that there are always some middle ground which we can reach if we are sincere to serve the community,” said Wong.
He stressed that all this while, he had been very open in finding a solution for the two parties to come together in some ways for the sake of greater Chinese unity.
“For my remaining years in politics, I have only two wishes. One is for Chinese unity and secondly, for greater Chinese representation in the BN government which will ensure a strong BN state government,” said Wong, who is Second Finance Minister.
He said greater Chinese unity was essential to position the community to work closely with other communities to strengthen BN as a whole.
In this regards, he believed UPP Bumiputera leaders would agree with him.
“While striving for greater Chinese unity, the interests and positions of the Bumiputera leaders and members must also be properly safeguarded and protected in UPP as it is a multi-racial party,” he stressed.
Wong reiterated that in politics, there was no point in taking the confrontational approach as both sides would lose out, saying it would be wiser to take the reconciliatory approach to ensure a win-win situation when we could have spent our energy and resources in tackling the opposition.
Wong, who has been actively in politics since 1987, really hoped that the new Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg would be able to come up with a formula that could unite the two parties.
“I believe that he (Abang Johari) is keen to look into the interest of the Chinese community in the state. And just recently, he said in time to come, he would be able to come up with a solution for both UPP and SUPP.”
Wong, who is also Bawang Assan assemblyman, revealed that he had known Abang Johari since the 80s, when the latter came to campaign for him in 1987 when he first contested in the then Igan constituency.
“He really worked hard to help me to win the seat,” he said.