Affendi (right) responds to a question posed by a reporter. Seen with him are the event’s organising committee’s second-in-charge Didi Udin (centre) and its information chief Abang Eddy Abang Fauzi.
KUCHING: The man who used to advocate for the entry of Umno to Sarawak prior to the 14th general election last year, now wants to operate a homegrown non-governmental organisation (NGO).
Affendi Jeman, who previously led Sarawak Umno Promoters Committee, says he is keen on registering Rakyat Sarawak Bersatu (RSB) as a NGO.
Moreover, he regards the setting up of such organisation as being ‘crucial at this point of time’.
“The purpose is to be the intermediary between the government and the people.
“Whatever effort being done should be towards the wellbeing of the people, and not politics,” he said when met by reporters at the ‘People’s Gawai-Raya Open House’ hosted by RSB here yesterday.
RSB has yet to be registered with the Registrar of Societies (RoS) and for now, it only has a pro tem main committee headed by Affendi.
According to him, they have all agreed on having RSB e registered as a NGO.
When asked when they would register with the RoS, Affendi replied: “In the soonest time possible.”
He also stressed that he was not affiliated with any political group in Sarawak.
During his Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house early last month, Affendi was quoted as having said that he had offered himself to lead the Sarawak branch of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu).
“I offer myself as the state chairman to enable Sarawak form a strong party machinery that will lead the state committee.
“Without any strong machinery, it is difficult for Bersatu to move and determine its direction in the state,” he told reporters then.
On the event yesterday, of which Affendi was the organising chairman, he said it hosted around 1,000 people from all walks of life.
Such turnout served as an encouragement for the RSB pro team committee to register the entity as a NGO, he added.
“That means that many people support this programme.
“The costs incurred in hosting this event are covered by funds deriving from personal donations; we also managed to get subsidy prices from the caterer, and discounted rates for the tents,” he said.