Dr Sim (second left) gives the thumbs up together with (from left) Nogeh, Niponi and Chen at the opening of the GPS Opar Ops Room.
SEMATAN: Unity among Opar voters will be key to Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) wresting back the state seat for Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), said SUPP president Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian.
He said as long as everyone in the constituency are united and have the common ground of wanting further progress and development, all will be well for SUPP and GPS in the coming state election.
“What is important is the unity that we need. Because the best for Sarawak is yet to come and we cannot let the state fall into the wrong hands, like the 22 months under the Pakatan Harapan government.
“So we must make sure that we have the right people to run Sarawak for the best that is yet to come,” Dr Sim told reporters after opening the new ‘GPS Opar Ops Room’ at Kampung Tebaro near here, yesterday afternoon.
Among those present were SUPP Opar branch chairman Cr Niponi Undek, Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) deputy president Datuk Anthony Nogeh and SUPP organising secretary Datuk Matthew Chen.
Explaining his ‘best is yet to come for Sarawak’ remark, Dr Sim said this would involve the completion of many infrastructure projects such as roads as well as water and electricity supply to the rural areas which are expected to be completed after 2025.
He said under the leadership of Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg, Sarawak has been able to set up various facilities such as its own international schools and Development Bank of Sarawak, while in the future its own coast guard and telecommunications service provider.
In addition, he said with the sales tax imposed on petroleum products, Sarawak will be able to double its revenue by 2023.
“If we are united, nobody can divide us. That’s why you see a lot of people keep on provoking us, trying to divide us.
“They are worried that Sarawak will become too strong and powerful. Of course when we have a lot of money, a lot of people want to take it from us.
“So Sarawakians must remain united. Don’t fall into the trap, don’t let them provoke us. We know what we are doing.”
Meanwhile, on the challenges faced by SUPP in its bid to wrest back Opar, particularly from incumbent Datuk Ranum Mina of Parti Sarawak Bersatu who is going for his fourth term, Dr Sim urged voters to choose a candidate who will fight for them.
“You see, there are always people around election time who will make all sorts of claims, but we all know that you need to look at the track record and history of those who actually fight for the people,” he said.
In the 2016 state election, Ranum won as a Barisan Nasional-direct candidate with a majority of 2,082 votes, defeating Niponi who stood as an Independent as well as Francis Teron Kadap of Parti Keadilan Rakyat and Patrick Anek Uren of Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak Baru.