UPP Community Service Board apolitical, says inaugural board chairman
SIBU: United People’s Party (UPP) has set up the UPP Community Service Board (Sibu) to make Sibu a great town to live in, according to its inaugural board chairman Dato Andrew Wong.
He said though the board was established by UPP, he wanted it to be as non-political as possible.
Speaking after his inauguration, he said since it’s only objective was for the development of Sibu town, the people and the development of Sibu would always come first.
“I want no political games to be brought into the operation of the board.
“This board will never be used as a vehicle to gain political mileage nor will it be used as a tool to run down political opponents based on unfounded allegations or conjectures.
“We work to make Sibu great. It does not matter who they are – UPP, SUPP, PBB, PRS or SPDP or other non-political parties; if they have good suggestions, we must listen and that we must do,” he pointed out.
This could be done as long as members remember the main objective of the board.
“Politics is killing Sibu because in the nature of politics today, many, though not all, have ended up serving the party first, themselves second, and the people third,” he lamented.
He said when a person made decisions based on political lines and conveniences; making promises to the people to gain political mileage; criticise and object something because it was proposed by another person without coming up with better solutions; and when a person was appointed in the capacity to serve all people, but reluctant to work with someone across party lines, then that person has failed the people.
“I refuse to fail the people of Sibu, because when I fail the people, I fail my children because they are also part of Sibu people,” he said.
He recalled when he agreed to serve as deputy chairman of Sibu Municipal Council ( SMC) three years ago, he did not belong to any political party because he believed it was his duty as deputy chairman to serve everyone irrespective of their political affiliation.
He said during his time as deputy chairman, he had planned to upgrade as many roads as he could in Sibu despite being told that it was an impossible task.
He said during the course of that process, he had numerous requests from people to upgrade their roads because they were either friends of his father ( Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh) or UPP party members.
However, he refused to give in to those demands because it was not the right thing to do.
“To let politics influence a decision when I had a duty to serve all people and not only a select few, I would have failed the people,” he said.
He added: “That’s why I believe that my board members need to be non-political in their decisionmaking process.
“And I urge my board members to be prepared for more criticism than appreciation as they embark on the journey to serve the people.”
According to him, all the board members are from the four UPP branches in Sibu.
The board has six standing committees, namely Infrastructure Development; Public Health and Environmental Conservation; Social and Community Development; Hawker, Traders and Business Development; Rural Development; and Youth Leadership Development.
Wong said these committees were responsible for outlining a comprehensive development master plan for Sibu.
“Each project will be properly documented and supported with facts and figures and be made available to the public. This will ensure full public participation and disclosure,” he said.
The inauguration ceremony was graced by the presence of Second Finance Minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, Dudong assemblyman Datuk Tiong Thai King, and UPP Pelawan branch chairperson Dato Janet Lau.
UPP Bawang Assan Bumiputra Unit chairman Andrew Shilling Banggit was installed as deputy chairman.