By Ling Hui
KUCHING, Dec 8: When no one was willing to take up the challenge of setting up the Sarawak United Peoples’ Party Public Complaints Bureau (SUPP PCB), Wilfred Yap Yau Sin stood up and accepted the task as well as the responsibility to lead it.
SUPP PCB is now over seven years old and ever since its establishment in October 2014, Yap now serving his third term as its chief, has never once taken a break from his role.
Underlining his commitment to serve the people, he set himself a key performance indicator (KPI) of publishing one press release per week on cases that are already settled by the bureau, which is manned by only himself and his assistant Steve.
SUPP PCB was established to create awareness that SUPP provides a trusted, effective and efficient complaint handling service which remedies injustice for individuals resulting from inefficient or maladministration or service failure.
Until today, Yap who is a lawyer by profession has assisted with countless cases without charging a fee, ranging from issues with loan sharks, employment applications, online scams, cheating, family problems to overdue maintenance and repair works, just to name a few.
Among the hundreds or even thousands of SUPP PCB cases, Yap pointed out, there are times when people approached him with problems that even they themselves knew were beyond remedy.
“My work is not about action, action, action. Sometimes, the people just want me to lend an ear. So, there were cases whereby I just listened and empathised with them. They also know for a fact their problems cannot be helped already.
“I had a case whereby this person’s son died from an electric shock while working. The father came to see me asking what could be done in terms of compensation, but it was a self-accident.
“Sometimes, I really just sit down and listen to their problems. I feel sorry, I really want to help, but I can’t. It’s just the way some things are,” he said.
His soft side notwithstanding, Yap who is well known for his serious demeanour, was firm to say that he would fight til the end when it comes to cases whereby the law is on their side.
For those who are truly victimised, he said there would be no hesitation in his fight for the people’s rights to the fullest.
Being frank as he always is, Yap also said SUPP PCB does not have ‘miracle makers’, but instead, they assist people through the law and facts of truth to help the people get what they want.
Yap, who heads the SUPP Kota Sentosa branch, is now also the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) candidate for Kota Sentosa.
In the coming 12th Sarawak State Election (PRN12), he will be facing four opponents in Kota Sentosa from Democratic Action Party (DAP), Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK), Sarawak People’s Aspiration Party (Aspirasi), and Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB).
They are Michael Kong Feng Nian (DAP), Lue Cheng Hing (PBK), Tan Kok Chiang (Aspirasi), and Datuk Dr John Lau Pang Heng (PSB). — DayakDaily
