SUPP Dudong Women’s wing urged to spearhead grassroots efforts

SIBU: The real election battleground is not just on the stage or at the operation centre, but begins at the doorstep of voters — and this is where the Women’s Wing needs to play its role as the driving force of the grassroots machinery.

Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Dudong chairman Wong Ching Yong said the strength of the women’s wing needed to be fully mobilised to reach out to voters, listen to their concerns and build trust through door-to-door engagement.

He said the face-to-face approach allowed female members to better understand the pulse of the community, including families’ concerns over the cost of living, education and welfare, while also enabling them to convey the party’s policies and struggles.

“The women’s wing has good communication and interpersonal skills. This allows its members to approach voters in a more friendly and flexible manner, especially at the grassroots level,” he said at a Mid-Autumn Reunion organised by the SUPP Dudong Women’s wing last night (Sept 27).

According to Wong, feedback gathered by the women members during visits to voters’ homes was valuable as it provided a clearer picture of the issues people were actually facing.

“This grassroots information is important in helping the party understand the sentiment of the community and determine the appropriate campaign approach and messages,” he said.

Wong also said the wing should no longer be seen merely as a support team working behind the scenes, but should instead be given greater opportunities to develop political talent and female candidates.

He said greater participation by women in politics could strengthen the party at both state and parliamentary levels.

He added that the wing also played a key role in logistics and the mobilisation of the election machinery, including providing food at operation centres, distributing campaign materials and organising polling station observers (PACA).

“When the party faces challenges, the women’s wing is often among the teams that return to the grassroots to boost the morale of members and ensure that the machinery continues to operate,” he said.

He also stressed that engagement with women voters needed to be more structured, with greater attention paid to specific issues such as family welfare, children’s education, women’s rights and domestic violence.

Wong said technological developments also required the Women’s Wing to move beyond traditional methods by making greater use of social media and digital campaigning.

“The women’s wing needs to move from simply providing behind-the-scenes logistical support to becoming election campaign mobilisers and leaders capable of playing a bigger role,” he said.

SUPP Dudong advisor Datuk Dr Soon Choon Teck and SUPP Dudong Women’s head Ivy Chieng were among those present.