GE15: keeping it low-key, SUPP favours personal touch over big rallies

MIRI – The Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) prefers a low-key approach to answering attacks from rivals in urban Sarawak seats, its secretary-general Datuk Sebastian Ting said.

He said the Pakatan Harapan parties, DAP and PKR, as well as local opposition Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) have been attacking SUPP, which is part of the state ruling coalition over many issues.

These include the party’s links with Umno, even though the latter is not present in Sarawak. State ruling coalition Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), of which SUPP is part of, is seen as friendly to Barisan Nasional (BN).

SUPP is also being attacked on alleged financial leakages in the state government, and for not helping the poor, Ting said.

“We need to work doubly hard to counter such attacks and to answer the issues they are constantly bringing out to the public,” he told The Vibes in an interview.

Ting is the Piasau assemblyman. He is also the tourism, culture and performing arts deputy minister.

Asked on whether SUPP leaders will organise big-scale open ceramah to respond to the allegations made by the opposition, Ting said SUPP will not use public rallies.

“It is not our style to stage big public ceramah or attack the opposition using fierce methods.

“Our style has always been to reach out to the voters via personal outreach.

“We go to specific areas and talk to the locals in their community halls, residential meetings and meet with small groups of people.

“We will not have fiery public ceramahs, as the people know SUPP through our track record,” said Ting.

SUPP-GPS is contesting in the seven biggest urban parliamentary constituencies of Bandar Kuching, Stampin, Serian, Sibu, Lanang, Sarikei and Miri. – The Vibes, November 11, 2022