Youthful new face for SUPP
AT 33, Tan Kai is the Sarawak United People’s Party’s (SUPP) youngest candidate to date. The party’s previous record holder was former Batu Lintang assemblyman and Kuching City South Mayor Chan Seng Khai, who was 38 when he first stood for office in 1991.
Tan is from Sungai Apong, a multicultural neighbourhood where he grew up and still calls home. The SUPP Central Youth chairman, who officially joined the party in 1998, comes from a family of staunch SUPP supporters. He also holds posts in the Sarawak Soon Cho Association, Sungai Apong Basketball Association and Koperasi Kemajuan Henghua Kuching Berhad.
He has launched a personal election manifesto, which he described as, “the pledges of a fishing village boy”. With an election campaign tag line of ‘Clean and Just’, he promises to fight for good governance and justice, as well as to transform Kuching through improvements in business, tourism and safety.
The manifesto’s proposals include a new night market for the Padungan area and to create a more vibrant commercial hub along pedestrian streets stretching from India Street to the Main Bazaar and along Kuching Waterfront to Padungan.
An electrical engineer, Tan graduated from National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan. Q: What was behind your decision to be involved in politics?
I decided to be involved in politics because I believe that it is through politics that we can help the local community. There are things the local community needs like somebody to act as intermediary between the grassroots and the government. Q: Why did you choose this political party?
My parents as well as family members are all SUPP members, dating all the way back to when the party was an opposition party. They are party loyalists who are actively involved in party activities and affairs even after SUPP became a Barisan Nasional component party. Q: What is your strength as a political leader?
I would say my strength is that I come from the grassroots and through that I think that I can provide an effective link between the party I’m representing and the people. Q: Could you give a general description of your constituency?
A few infrastructure projects such as the drainage system need to be upgraded, which opposition YBs are unable to deliver. Q: What would you do for the constituency over the next five years?
Bandar Kuching, as the capital city of Sarawak, needs more direct flights to boost local industries, in particular the tourism sector. SUPP secretarygeneral Prof Dr Sim Kui Hian’s idea of a medical metropolitan is also good, which I think should be pursued. Apart from that, we are short of labour in Sarawak. This is a problem that needs to be rectified.