KUCHING, Dec 12: Despite the optimism and good feelings on the ground, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) candidate for N37 Bukit Saban Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah is not taking things at face value.
Uggah in a statement today said he is taking the 12th Sarawak State Election seriously.
“We treat all opponents as formidable opponents. We must never be overconfident,” he said.
During his campaign visiting in the Bukit Saban constituency, Uggah has been emphasising that promoting modern agriculture will again be his mission.
“We want farmers and breeders to increase their income through greater productivity and quality. We too will ensure whatever they produce will be sold,” he added.
Meanwhile, optimism reigns high in GPS’ Bukit Saban camp as Uggah has been an extremely busy bee in the last six days.
Two days ago, he reached out to 10 longhouses in the constituency’s interior and is continuing his efforts with a punishing daily schedule.
As the State GPS election director, he also has to visit other constituencies to drum up support for GPS candidates in Bukit Saban, which has some 94 longhouses.
According to the same statement, today Uggah visited his election machinery officials in four Malay kampung here, and Uggah is elated by the very enthusiastic positive responses from all the longhouses and villages that he gets during such visits.
Basically, the statement added, the feeling on the ground here is that the people want Uggah to continue implementing what he has planned.
On a more personal note, constituents also want Uggah to continue as their elected representative as he is always there for them in times of joy or grief, like during this dreaded Covid-19 pandemic.
The power of incumbency holds strongly for Uggah. He was previously a seven-term Member of Parliament for Betong, beginning in 1986, before switching to the Bukit Saban seat in the 2016 Sarawak State Election.
After winning, he was and is relentless in his preparations, through his very regular walkabouts and visits, and the cornerstone of his preparations is his Bukit Saban Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) 17 “ranting” or sub-branches.
Their respective men, women and youth wings leaders are tasked with strengthening the party and his presence in their areas.
Among Uggah’s contributions to Bukit Saban constituents is procuring a much needed facelift for the rustic, sleepy hallow Spaoh town in the form of a new RM5 million-waterfront and a RM4.6 million-sub-district office.
Apart from that, an RM11 million-sports complex is almost completed while a RM4 million-market is in active construction. Other new projects include Sungai Paku bridge costing RM26 million, the RM15 million-Ulu Paku/Ulu Krian Road and the RM10 million-Ulu Bayor/Penom/Danau Road Phase 1.
His other achievements include the RM108 million project to facilitate the immediate transportation of agricultural products from the area which is part of the greater Betong-Mukah Food Basket area, together with the two agroparks that have been approved at Bebuling and Lubok Tamang, where the facilities will help to train locals on the finer aspects of modern farming.
As of now, the residents of Bukit Saban also enjoy 100 per cent power supply connection, including 99 per cent water supply, and all longhouses are linked by road to Betong and elsewhere.
Bukit Saban has about 9,500 registered voters where the majority of them are Ibans at around 6,500 people, followed by Malays with 2,700, and the Chinese with 300 voters.
Uggah, 67, is involved in a three-cornered fight in the coming 12th Sarawak State Election against Andria Dundang @Andria Gelayan of the Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) and Mikail@Mathew Abdullah of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR). – DayakDaily.
