Tiong (second right) poses for a wefie with party members attending the dinner.
BINTULU: Those appointed to several important posts in Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) during the party’s triennial general assembly (TGA) in Bintulu on Saturday have been reminded to put the party’s interest above all else.
“During the TGA, we have made some appointments on several important posts – to the deputy president, secretary general and supreme council members, congratulations!
“But don’t be too carried away, because the appointment comes with a responsibility and heavy task. Don’t just want the positions in the party but not doing the job,” organising committee chairman of the TGA, Datu Dr Penguang Manggil, said when speaking at the presidential dinner on Saturday.
Datu Dr Penguang Manggil
The Assistant Minister of Local Government also appealed to the appointed supreme council members to assist the elected representatives in serving the people.
“Don’t leave it to the YBs (elected representatives) alone to do the job, you play a part, you play a role. Party members should also help so that PDP can be respected by others,” he said to over 1,000 delegates attending the dinner.
Penguang, who is the party’s vice president, said besides the appointment of the party leadership including the grassroots leaders the TGA is a very important platform for party members to voice out and bring up issues on the ground to be discussed, deliberated and decided on for the future of the party.
However, he cautioned that misstep, wrong choice and wrong action could badly affect the party.
“Unity is the basic foundation for any organisation to be strong, we must unite,” he added.
According to him, he had spoken to party president Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing on the party’s direction in Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and even though PDP is only a small party in the new coalition, he believed that GPS is the best platform for PDP to get back seats that traditionally belong to the party.
“In this area, I wish to appeal that we must use our good sense of public relations, don’t argue openly that we want this and that. We just do our job, and do it well, only then we can ask what are ours,” he cautioned.
He agreed with the view by party president during the TGA that the political landscape and challenges were now different.
“Politics today is very complicated because we are dealing with educated people who will voice out what they want.
“It is not what we want actually but what the people want, our strength is based on party members and our numbers at the grassroots level,” he said, adding that PDP will be working together with other component parties of GPS to fight for Sarawak’s interest and rights.