SWP claims able to attract huge crowds

Posted on April 30, 2012, Monday

KUCHING: An insider from Sarawak Workers Party (SWP) yesterday claimed the party’s functions have never failed to attract big crowds.

He said apart from last Saturday’s function at Nanga Entebai, Julau, which attracted over 2,000 people, including 150 headmen, the one held at night at Sekuau Scheme in the neighbouring constituency of Selangau was also another crowd puller.

“It managed to bring in over 1,000 people. Interestingly, it was held at MP Datuk Joseph Entulu’s stronghold, Sekuau Scheme. The people who turned up came from 15 out of the total 25 longhouses at the scheme,” he said yesterday.

He claimed that a similar function was hosted by Entulu, who is also Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development, at Rh Gawan, Pasai, but it only attracted 200 people.

On the function at Sekuau Scheme, held in a longhouse called Rh Francis, he said the guest-of-honour was SWP prime mover Dato Sng Chee Hua.

SWP, with its registration recently approved by the Home Ministry, has announced it would contest in all the six parliamentarys seats held by Barisan Nasional component party PRS.

“While the turnout may not be the strongest indicator of support, the spirit shown even by the headmen in attending the SWP ‘ceramah’ (function) showed that there is widespread and growing discontent towards PRS representatives,” said the insider.

Sng was said to have told the audience that SWP would ensure that only quality candidates be fielded.

“We will stand by our word that we will be friendly to PBB, SUPP and SPDP, but definitely not PRS. We will fight the ‘towkays’ in PRS, and we will prove to all Sarawakians that our elected representatives’ sole agenda is to serve the people,” Sng was reported to have said.

SWP protem deputy president George Lagong also spoke, stating that SWP wanted to be the voice of the people, especially those in the rural areas.

Former PRS Women chief Josephine Mawat said SWP would become the third force.

Also speaking at the function was another Sng loyalist, Munan Laja.