font face="Helvetical, Arial, sans-serif"> Caption:The Member of Parliament of Bintulu-Tiong King Sing. The Member of Parliament of Bintulu...Dato' Seri Tiong Kuching: SARAWAK Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) last Saturday morning decided to set up an education fund for the children of its members to study at both public and private institutions of higher learning. Mawan, who officiated at last Saturday's unity dinner at the Civic Centre here where SPDP Divisions in Kapit were launched, explained that the education fund was their top priority. "It is our hope that the beneficiaries of the fund would lead the party in the future. Without this fund, SPDP will lose some leverage in its social roles within the BN framework," he said, adding that other BN component parties already had similar funds. Mawan also announced that SPDP Treasurer General, Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, had started the ball rolling by contributing RM50,000 to the fund, while he himself has chipped in RM5,000. On efforts to further strengthen the party, he said more members must be recruited and "to continue doing so as long as those being recruited are not members of other BN component parties". About the current members, some 70 percent are former SNAP members while the rest are new members who are young intellectuals and professionals. Some 800 persons - members plus invited guests - attended the dinner.