SPAOH: Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) will face three major challenges in the upcoming state election, opined Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali.
The Assistant Minister for Law State-Federal Relations and Project Monitoring said firstly, GPS, a coalition of local political parties, will be contesting for the first time using its ‘Kenyalang’ symbol and going on its own for the first time too, after leaving the Barisan Nasional (BN) fold.
“Secondly, the poll is expected to take place at any time during the Covid-19 pandemic,” she said at a meet-the-people session at Spaoh community hall on Sunday (Oct 31).
She stressed that especially with the virus still around, it was critical for everyone to continue to strictly follow the Health Department’s standard operating procedures (SOPs) to stay safe.
The other challenge, according to the Samariang assemblywoman, was ensuring a high voter turnout.
To ensure this, Sharifah Hasidah stated that Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) grassroots leaders and members had a significant role to play in overcoming the challenges.
“Because our Kenyalang logo is new, some elderly supporters and voters may be unfamiliar with it, as they were with the BN’s ‘dacing’ symbol.
“So please do your best to explain and promote our symbol to them as the Kenyalang symbol is also used by an opposition political party.
“Explain the differences to them so that they do not make any mistakes when casting their votes,” she stated.
On the voters’ turnout, she hoped that GPS workers could convince all to turn up in full force to ensure a new mandate for the government.
In rooting for Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas to be returned in his Bukit Saban constituency, Sharifah Hasidah highlighted that Uggah had done a lot to bring development and progress to the area including Spaoh.
“There is a long list of projects that have already been implemented or are in the process of being implemented.
“We have physical developments, and Uggah’s next focus is socioeconomic development, as he wants to help people generate more stable income through modern agriculture.
“These are all for the benefit of our future generation, so voting for GPS is a vote for a better future for our state and youth.
“Continuity in Uggah’s leadership and GPS administration in Bukit Saban should be the primary motivator for voters to continue to support him,” she said.
Meanwhile, she claimed that the opposition was only good at criticising in order to discredit the government.
“They were also excellent at instigating and making sweet promises, she added.
Present during the event were Uggah, his wife Datuk Doreen Mayang and a political secretary to the Chief Minister Dr Richard Rapu.
