30 quit UPP Batu Kawah to help Liu campaign

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Christine (seated third left) with (seated from second left) Lim Fatt, Chong and others in a photo call after the news conference.

Christine (seated third left) with (seated from second left) Lim Fatt, Chong and others in a photo call after the news conference.

KUCHING: Thirty members of United People’s Party (UPP) Batu Kawah branch resigned from the party yesterday to assist their former branch chief, Liu Thian Leong, in the state election.

Liu resigned from UPP on Thursday and announced contesting in Batu Kawah as an independent candidate.

Christine Bong, who was the branch secretary and who spoke on behalf of the group at a press conference, said they quit the party to support Liu as they believed he could develop Batu Kawah.

With her at the press conference were former branch vice chairman Bong Lim Fatt and former branch treasurer Chong Thian Poh.

Christine opined Liu had contributed tremendously to Batu Kawah for more than a year, be it in infrastructure development or Chinese education.

“Our decision to resign from UPP and support Liu Thian Leong is not a sign of going against Team Adenan. However, there is nothing we can do about what people want to think.”

With Liu’s announcement to contest as Independent candidate, Batu Kawah will most likely see at least a three-cornered fight as BN will be fielding SUPP president Senator Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian while the DAP will be fielding former Batu Kawah assemblywoman Christina Chiew.

Asked whether Liu’s move would affect BN-SUPP and Team Adenan negatively, Christine said: “That we leave it to the voters.”

Whether the group would rejoin UPP after the polls, she said “we will cross the bridge when we come to it.”

Meanwhile, Christine said Liu’s Team would soon set up an operation centre in Batu Kawah.

UPP Batu Kawah branch has over 1,000 members. It is now temporarily under the leadership of vice chairpersons Penghulu Pui Wen Mei and Kapitan Bong Sai Ing.