GPS Convention highlights more jobs, youth and women, rural needs

KUCHING: The Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) Convention was held today (April 19), bringing together delegates from across the state.

Among the key themes raised were the need for more job opportunities, stronger youth and women participation, and improved infrastructure, particularly in rural areas.

The following are some of the views shared by delegates at the convention.

“I hope to see more development and progress in Sarawak moving forward. At the same time, there should be more job opportunities, especially for young people, as many youths here are still unemployed.

I also believe we need to be more open and encourage greater involvement from the youth, so there is a better balance and fewer issues in the future.

This is my first time attending the GPS Convention, although I have attended the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Convention several times before. And as someone from Miri, I have noticed many positive changes, particularly in road infrastructure, which has improved significantly.

“The Pan Borneo Highway, for example, has helped reduce traffic congestion and made travel smoother. Cleanliness has also improved, and more job opportunities have been created here, especially in the industrial sector.

In addition, more factories and universities have been established, which can attract people from other areas.”

“This is my first time attending the GPS Convention. Previously, I have attended the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) mini conventions, but this time the atmosphere feels much more lively, especially with the presence of grassroots leadership from all 82 branches.

It makes me feel very happy to see so many of our people showing strong support for the leadership of the Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg. As a representative from the Pantai Damai constituency, what I truly hope for is stronger leadership from the youth.

We have many young people, and I believe even more can step forward – not because we lack talent, but because many have yet to fully unleash their potential to become future leaders. With strong youth leadership alongside experienced senior leaders, I am confident Sarawak will continue to progress.

For this convention, I hope more people will voice their aspirations and needs, in line with the direction and vision outlined by the Premier.”

One of the most noticeable changes under the Premier’s leadership is the introduction of free education for Sarawakian children. This is something we are truly proud of, because it gives the younger generation a better chance to succeed and build a brighter future.

In my area, we already have basic facilities like roads, which we are thankful for. However, in places like Belaga, we still hope to see further improvements, especially in upgrading and refining the road conditions to make daily travel easier for the people.

Overall, we are very grateful for the leadership of Abang Johari and the progress that has been made so far.

Moving forward, my hope is for Sarawak to continue developing while staying united across all parties, because that unity will make us stronger in driving the state forward. At the end of the day, we all share the same goal – we love Sarawak, and we want the best for it. Sarawak First.”

“I think women’s leadership today has improved a lot compared to the past. There are definitely more opportunities and greater recognition now, which is encouraging to see.

However, I still believe there is room for further improvement. As a party member, I find that attending programmes like this is very motivating. It not only inspires us, but also gives us the chance to learn new strategies and gain useful insights that can help us grow.

Ultimately, I hope we can achieve the goals and aspirations outlined by the Premier, and continue working together to move forward.”

Under the Premier’s leadership, we can clearly see the progress compared to before. There have been visible improvements in development and infrastructure in our area, especially in roads, electricity, and water supply, although some projects are still ongoing.

This is my first time attending a GPS Convention, and it’s encouraging to see these efforts being discussed. Moving forward, I hope the government can continue to be more productive and push further in terms of development and economic growth.

At the same time, we also hope that more support and budget can be channelled to rural communities, so that the people in the villages can benefit even more from these developments.”