UPP to set up ‘Putera’, ‘Puteri’ wings

KUCHING: United People’s Party ( UPP) looks forward to setting up ‘Putera’ and ‘Puteri’ wings to attract youths aged between 18 and 21 to join the party.

Its Youth chief Dr Johnichal Rayong Ngipa said the move was initiated with an aim of pulling in more youths to further strengthen the party.

“These wings will be established later and the announcement on this should follow. It (recruiting youths) is an on- going process,” he said at a press conference after chairing a UPP Central Youth Committee meeting at the party’s headquarters here yesterday.

Rayong said his committee had not been keeping track of the percentage of party members aged 18 to 21.

Earlier, UPP Youth secretary Yap Min Su said: “The youth of today is the future of tomorrow.”

Given this, he said the committee was keen to explore the idea of setting up ‘ Putera’ and ‘ Puteri’ wings to attract young people to join UPP.

The idea, according to Yap, is to provide a platform for this young group to get involved in political works besides training them as future leaders for Sarawak.

On a separate issue, Rayong said 10 per cent of the UPP Youth Central’s new line-up for 2018 to 2021 were new faces.

It is learnt that the newlyelected committee comprises young entrepreneurs, engineers, educators and professionals from various industries.

Rayong said his new team is made up of 30 members, who are believed to campaign for the rights and interests of young people both within the party and beyond.

Apart from him and Yap, the committee comprises deputy chief Sze Kuan San, senior vice chief Peter Jawi, and vice chairmen Lai Chu Ching, Daniel Yong, Kok Yung Kai and Chua Beng Tiat.

Yap has two assistants, namely Sim Poh Giap and Jonathan Tay.

Kelvin Lau is the treasurer while Wong Ing Ang the assistant treasurer and Kannan Muniadi is organising secretary, with Patrick Narus, David Ng, Jeffrey Jarit and Chong Joon Kiong as his assistants.

The publicity secretary post is held by Frankie Junau, who has four assistants namely Sobri Sandum, Tiong Ing Chung, Lawrence Hii and Teu Meu Heng.

Kapitan Lee Sip Choon is the welfare secretary with Siniarovid Sinyau, Alvester Bigol Sulang and Wong Wei Chyang as his assistants.

Kullin Djayang is training secretary and Yong Kiam Kong, Hu Khe Siong and Joshua Chan are assistant training secretaries.