By Wilfred Pilo
KUCHING, Feb 5: Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Chinese New Year open house, themed “Coming Home”, was indeed a home coming for the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) partners.
Since announcing their exit from the Barisan Nasional coalition last June, Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) and SUPP have since formed GPS, which was officially launched on Jan 19.
The Chinese New Year open house at SUPP Dewan Sa’ati was the first festive get-together for GPS leaders with SUPP members and the local community, which attracted some 3,000 visitors here today.
SUPP Women’s chief and co-organising chairperson Kho Teck Wan expressed content that the event attracted a large number of youths that blended well with senior party members and the older generations.
Members from other GPS partners also turned up in numbers to support the event, taking opportunity to enhance ties with their SUPP counterpart.
“The chemistry within GPS is good. We can see many GPS leaders, their Women and Youth wing members attending this open house in good numbers, making the event merrier as we welcome Chinese New Year.
“Even though the theme ‘Coming Home’ was specially meant for our party members to come back to their political roots, we are happy to see a very good response to our invitations to GPS members,” she said.
Kho described the presence of the younger generation to the open house as a new beginning to the party as it moves forward under the GPS era.
She noted that the event also attracted quite a number of Chinese community leaders.
Among those at the SUPP open house included Sarawak Governor Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud and wife Toh Puan Ragad Kurdi Taib, Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg and wife Datuk Amar Juma’ani Tuanku Bujang, as well as other state dignitaries and GPS elected representatives.
SUPP president Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian and deputy president Datuk Seri Richard Riot Jaem led the host in welcoming the VIPs and the general public to the event.
The highlight of the day included a special GPS cake cutting ceremony led by Abang Johari, as well as calligraphy writing on a red paper banner of the Chinese character “Fu”, which means fortune, good luck, blessing or happiness, by Taib and other state dignitaries. — DayakDaily
