THE FEDERAL unity government as well as the Sarawak government led by ally Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) are expected to receive a huge shot in their respective arms as an influential party which recently dropped out from being in opposition has decided to join their ranks.
Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) is scheduled to be officially dissolved as a political party on the eighth day of Chinese New Year – this coming February 17.
Sources told The Vibes today that party leaders and senior members will gather in Sibu town on that day for one last grand gathering.
“On that day, it is scheduled that PSB president Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh will officially announce that PSB is dissolved,” a source said.
Wong is the current official opposition leader in the Sarawak assembly.
“He will advise the 80,000-plus PSB members to apply to join PDP (Progressive Democratic Party), a component of the ruling state coalition GPS.
“That day will be the eighth day of CNY,” the source added. “It is said to be a good day in the Chinese calendar.”
When asked, the source said what happens to PSB leaders after they join PDP is a matter that is being finetuned with PDP and GPS.
On January 3, PSB leaders had gone very public in renouncing the party’s status as an opposition party in Sarawak.
PSB president Wong had personally declared in a public gathering that PSB is no longer on the opposition side.
“Due to current political changes happening in the state and country, PSB is forced to re-assess our role in the political scene.
“We have to look at the current situation in a realistic perspective.
“We are fully supporting the unity government led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the state government led by Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg.
“PSB will unite with Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), a component party of the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) state government.
“Our 80,000 members in PSB will join the PDP, which has almost 100,000 members, to become one of the largest parties in Sarawak,” he said at a 2024 New Year gathering organized by PSB and PDP in Sibu town.
With him having publicly renounced PSB’s opposition status, the only opposition assemblymen remaining are from Sarawak DAP: Chong Chien Jen (assemblyman for Padungan) and Violet Yong (Pending).
The three current PSB assemblymen (who were once in the opposition) in the state assembly are Wong Soon Koh, who is assemblyman for Bawang Assan, Johnical Rayong (for Engkili) and Baru Bian (for Bakelalan).
Wong and other PSB leaders had on July 13 last year inked a deal with PDP president Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing in Kuala Lumpur to form a partnership with each other at state and national levels.
PSB has three seats in the 82-seat state assembly, DAP two, independent one in Batu Lintang (See Chee How) and GPS 76. – The Vibes, February 14, 2024
