MIRI: The Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) will focus on recruiting new members among young people to consolidate the party’s strength and ensure that it remains relevant in the Barisan Nasional (BN) fold.
DEDICATED SERVICES ASSURED: (from left) Dr Chan, Lawrence, Koh listen attentively to president of the Miri Indian Association Karambir Singh (second right) and its members, who brief them on the association’s activities.
Party president, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan said the move was to capitalise on the current trend as more new members, Chinese in particular, were keen to strengthen the party and contribute to society.
He said in the past two years, SUPP registered some 5,000 new members and registration is still ongoing.
Some five per cent of them were young professionals.
“This is a good sign now that they are coming forward. They want to join and rejuvenate the party and put in new ideas on what to do. We welcome them.
“Some young graduates from overseas also give us feedbacks, including in education.
“We hope with support from the young people, SUPP will be able to adapt to the changes taking place,” Chan told reporters yesterday after a meet-the-people session at SUPP Miri.
Dr Chan who is also deputy chief minister reminded the people of the importance in maintaining political stability, peace and harmony in Sarawak and the country as a whole.
They must make the right choice in the forthcoming election and to the Chinese community, Dr Chan stressed the need for representations in the government to make sure their voices are heard.
“We want to help serve the people. We believed that all Sarawakians should live in peace and harmony. This is achievable through stability so that we can progress and grow, as it had been in the last 20 to 30 years,” he stressed.
He said although undeniably the BN government cannot possible realise all projects that the people wanted, but the government has implemented the major and badly needed projects and services.
For Miri alone, all four elected representatives, including him, had been trying hard and doing the best through collective effort in bring development for the people.
Thus, he urged the electorate to maintain the existing good teamwork, both at the state and federal level, not only between elected representatives but also at all levels including among councillors, government agencies and ministerial levels.
“I feel that the people in Miri are happy with most of the things being done here. The Pujut 7 traffic congestion needed to be sorted out urgently and we did our best to get it done and surely the people will appreciation our efforts.
“Most importantly, we have a team of people at both levels. It is a matter of teamwork and obviously, the whole big team, from councillors, secretaries to the party is working hand in hand to bring the best development to Miri,” he elaborated.
On campaigns to smear the party by certain individuals or parties, including through the use of social networks on the Internet, deputy chief minister said that there was nothing new about it especially when election is very near.
He said some even tried to cause rivalry and instigate leaders of the BN component parties.
However, because of the long established cordial working relationship and political maturity, he said the dirty tactics will not be of major threat adding that, the people should know very well that the BN government did not go bad over night. Instead, it had done a great job for the country.
Nevertheless, Dr Chan said for SUPP, they will not rest on their laurel but instead, intensify their efforts to counter such smear campaigns, both using the social networks and going to the ground.
Also present at the press conference were Mayor of Miri City Council, Lawrence Lai Yew Son, who is also deputy chairman of SUPP, and Councillor Koh Ek Chong who is also SUPP chairman for Public Complaints Bureau and Services Committee.