SIBU: The ‘Sarawak Kita Empun’ (SKE) programme is an important platform to strengthen Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) machinery, particularly its Women’s Wing, in facing the upcoming elections.
PBB vice-president Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee said female members of the party need to understand and convey the messages highlighted through the SKE programme to communities in their respective areas.
He said preparations for the elections needed to begin early, as they were expected to be held in the near future, while ensuring that every party member understood their respective roles.
“Women play an important role in delivering messages about all the initiatives carried out by the Sarawak Premier, as well as emphasising unity among the community, political stability and state development,” he said.
He said this at the ‘Dinner with the PBB Central Zone Women’s Wing’ event organised by the PBB Zone 8 Women’s Wing here on Friday night (Aug. 21).
Dr Annuar, who is also Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation and Talent Development, said the strength of the PBB Women’s machinery should not only be mobilised when elections were approaching.
Instead, he stressed that relationships with the community needed to be built continuously through welfare and community programmes so that the party machinery remained close to the people.
“Although we may be in election mode, programmes like this should continue, regardless of whether it is election season or not.
“Programmes like this touch the hearts of the community and show the concern of the PBB Women’s Movement for the community around us,” he said.
He also urged every PBB Women’s branch to organise community programmes regularly, at least once a month, including visiting the sick and helping those in need.
Meanwhile, the Nangka assemblyman said the experience of past elections had proved that the PBB Women’s Wing was an important component in mobilising the party machinery on the ground.
He said he had personally experienced the commitment of PBB women members when he first contested the Nangka seat, when they took him from house to house to meet voters throughout the 14-day campaign period.
“I actually couldn’t bear to go door to door, but the women told me I had to do so because it was my first time as a candidate.
“I had to follow them. That is the sacrifice shown by women, not only in Sibu but throughout Sarawak,” he said.
He described the party’s female members as working more than 100 per cent and playing an important role in every PBB election campaign.
In this regard, he hoped the culture of hard work and sacrifice would continue to be maintained, regardless of who led the PBB Women’s Wing in the future.
Dr Annuar also stressed that unity within PBB must continue to be preserved as it was one of the foundations of the party’s strength and would, in turn, serve as the backbone of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).
“Our unity was born from two parties. While most parties in the world, including in Sarawak, split and gave birth to many small parties, we came from two basic parties that merged to become one big party,” he said.
He said the party’s internal unity should not be influenced or threatened by any party, whether from outside or within the party itself.
Also present were PBB deputy women’s chief I, Datin Sri Dato Angelina Ujang, and deputy women’s chief II, Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali.
