UPP wants to be part of BN in coming general election

KUCHING: United People’s Party (UPP) wants all component parties of Barisan Nasional (BN) to count the party in for the coming general election.

Its president Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh said UPP found it strange that Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), particularly its president Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian, always talked about only the four BN component parties working together and about SUPP getting all its seven seats in the forthcoming parliamentary election.

“He seems to have forgotten that UPP is very much alive as part of the Barisan Nasional family.

“He seems to have forgotten that UPP is a force to be reckoned with,” he told a press conference at the State Legislative Assembly lobby here yesterday.

Wong noted that SUPP has seven elected representatives and UPP has five, but UPP has greater representation among the Bumiputera community.

He pointed out that UPP elected representatives represent the suburban area of Mambong and the more outlying area of Opar and Engkilili.

In the urban areas, he said UPP is strong in the central region and the party commands deep-rooted support in Sibu, Bintangor and Sarikei.

While he acknowledged that political parties are important, he believed that ultimately people’s support is what makes the political parties relevant.

“When it comes to politics, all groups must be accommodated and not contained or dissipated.

“As the wise saying by an ancient Chinese war strategist Sun Tze goes: ‘If you cannot eliminate them, you must include them’.

“It is always better to be inclusive rather than exclusive; this is the ostensibly morally correct path to chose,” he said.

Wong suggested that all parties in BN, including a BN-friendly party, must work together to face common challenges or suffer the consequences of not working together.

He said unless all can do it, the future will be not what all would like to see.

“In seeking people’s support and winning the election, count us in, count UPP in.

“We will be there to secure people’s support for the good of all in the big family of BN,” he said.

Wong said the party had submitted its list of candidates to both the Prime Minister and Chief Minister but declined to reveal any name or seat UPP was eyeing, only to say that the final decision would be made by the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister.

“Let us not quarrel over this – let us just work hard and stay engaged with the people who will have the final say to what you can have or cannot have,” he said.