KUCHING, Feb 12: United People’s Party (UPP) will heed the call by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg to return to Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) once the chief minister issues a formal instruction.
UPP deputy president Datuk Dr Jerip Susil said UPP will follow whatever Abang Johari tells them to do when the time comes.
Speaking to reporters after officiating at a Chinese New Year 2018 Road Safety Campaign at Kuching Sentral this morning, he said going back would mean UPP members would have to come in at the grassroots level to see the support there.
“I’m not saying that UPP will return to SUPP, but I’m saying we will follow his (Abang Johari) instructions. So whatever it is we need to be subservient to his instructions.
“So we will go and talk to him and wait for his further instructions. Meaning we have to go back to the party grassroots level again and we will look into how to respond to his advice,” said Dr Jerip.
When asked if Abang Johari would propose a merger between UPP and SUPP, Dr Jerip said he could not reveal such possibilities because it was not advisable to preempt too much.
“It is best if we allow Abang Johari to work it out because he has his own programme, roadmap and agenda on how to handle this situation as best he can,” he said.
When pressed for details on when UPP will meet Abang Johari, Dr Jerip said it has not been decided yet as the call to return was made during the opening of the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Convention last Saturday.
Dr Jerip who is also Assistant Minister of Transportation said it would take some time for UPP members and the grassroots to get together and think things through before any decision is made.
“Abang Johari just only recently made that announcement during the PBB convention opening. So when he made that announcement, it would take time to go back to the ground and let people be able to understand what he means,” he said. — DayakDaily
