Uggah kicks off campaign trail in Bukit Saban
The SOPs are very important. I have also advised my campaigners to be very mindful of the SOPs. When we celebrate our victory, we also celebrate our health. We do not want what had happened in Sabah during its state election to happen here in Sarawak.
— Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah
SPAOH: Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) candidate for Bukit Saban, Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, embarked on the first round of his campaigning in Ulu Layar here on Friday.
His schedule kicked off with a visit to six of the 94 longhouses in the constituency, followed by visits to four Malay villages and two Chinese areas in Bukit Saban.
In the first four longhouses he visited, physical distancing and wearing of face masks were very much the order of the day, especially for Uggah who used to head the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC).
The fact that more than half of the total residents were away made physical distancing an easily-accomplished task.
Uggah, when met by the media at an earlier function, said he hoped that all contesting candidates would comply strictly with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) set for the Sarawak election.
He also advised the constituents to do the same.
“The SOPs are very important. I have also advised my campaigners to be very mindful of the SOPs.
“When we celebrate our victory, we also celebrate our health. We do not want what had happened in Sabah during its state election to happen here in Sarawak.
“On the same note, I hope the enforcement officers would keep a close eye on all the candidates in their (campaign) movements,” he said, calling upon all to never breach the SOPs.
During his visits, Uggah also debunked accusations, lies and insinuations spread by one of the opposition candidates, who had visited some of the longhouses the previous week.
He said the lies, accusations and insinuations ranged from cronyism, lack of development by Uggah, and his aide profiting from big contracts from infrastructures development.
“These are malicious lies aimed at painting a black picture of myself, but I believe that my supporters would not be easily fooled as they have known me for a long time,” he said.
Throughout his seven terms as Betong MP and one term as Bukit Saban assemblyman, Uggah’s supporters insisted that he had established excellent rapport and trust with the voters.
Meanwhile, the present Betong MP Datuk Robert Lawson Chuat, who joined Uggah in the visits, said Bukit Saban voters would be making a terrible mistake if they rejected Uggah in this election.
This was because Uggah was regarded as one of the most experienced leaders in Sarawak, having served at both federal and state levels, said Robert.
“In Sarawak, he is a deputy chief minister, which is a very senior and respected post.
“The Bukit Saban folks should not just throw away their blessings,” he said.
Despite his busy schedule in Bukit Saban, Uggah who is also GPS election director, would contribute help to fellow GPS candidates in other constituencies too.