KOTA KINABALU – Datuk Dr Roland Chia Ming Shen has been appointed the pro-tem chief of the Sabah Bersatu Associate Wing.
Bersatu has amended its constitution to establish the associate member wing during its annual general meeting in November 2020. The new wing is to accommodate new non-Malay members in the exclusively Bumiputera party.
Chia’s appointment, which has been effective since October 14, was announced by Bersatu Associate Wing national chief Datuk Seri Santhara JP in a statement today.
Santhara was appointed as the first national chief of the Associate Wing effective September 29. He is also the deputy tourism, arts and culture federal minister and Segamat MP.
Chia, who is also the political secretary to the Sabah chief minister, announced the establishment of the pro-tem Sabah State Committee.
Chia was a former Inanam assemblyman and a former PKR supreme council member.
Meanwhile, Santara and Chia had led the new committee to pay a courtesy call on Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Mohd Noor at his official residence in Sri Gaya today.
Welcoming them into Bersatu, Hajiji said he greatly appreciates their strong interest and support to the party.
He said their presence in Bersatu shows that the party is strongly accepted and supported not only by the Bumiputeras, but also by the non-Bumiputeras in Sabah.
“I welcome all the non-Bumiputeras in Sabah to join our Associate Wing, and together we work for the people’s well-being to bring more development and progress to the state,” said Hajiji.
The pro-tem Sabah State Committee comprises veteran and young politicians, professionals and members of the business community.
The Sabah Bersatu Associate Wing’s pro-tem committee members consist of former Karamunting rep Datuk Charles O Pang as vice chairman, Julian Lai Tze Cheng as assistant secretary, Lai Kim Ming as assistant treasurer, and Lim Ting Khai as information chief. – The Vibes, December 5, 2021
