THE DISSOLUTION of Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) as a political entity, which was earmarked to be done yesterday, the eighth day of the Chinese New Year, was officially approved by nearly 500 party delegates at its special assembly in Sibu.
Sources in Sibu told The Vibes that members present at the extraordinary delegates conference passed a resolution to dissolve the party late in the evening.
President Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh did not officially make an announcement to the press.
The source explained that the dissolution must be officially made known to the Registrar of Societies (RoS) first.
Wong when met by reporters later said he cannot comment yet.
The source said the dissolution was approved, and after that the delegates were advised to apply to join the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP).
The PDP is led by president Datuk Seri Tiong Sing King who is the federal tourism minister.
The party is also a component of the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) coalition which is ruling over the state.
"All former PSB grassroots leaders and members are asked to apply to join PDP," said the source.
The Vibes had reported last week that Wong was slated to advise the 80,000 plus ex-members to apply to join PDP once the dissolution takes place.
The special assembly was held on the eighth day of the Chinese New Year which is considered to be an auspicious day in the Chinese calendar.
The fate of the PSB assembly members and leaders in terms of their positions after they join PDP is expected to be finetuned through discussions among leaders from both sides.
On January 3 this year, PSB leaders had gone public in renouncing the party's status as an opposition outfit in Sarawak.
Wong had then reasoned that the move was due to current political changes in the state and country, forcing the party to re-assess its role 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,” he had said.
The only opposition representatives left in the state assembly now are from Sarawak DAP in the form of Chong Chien Jen (Padungan state rep) and Violet Yong (Pending rep).
The three current ex-PSB members in the assembly are Wong (Bawang Assan), Johnical Rayong (Engkili) and Baru Bian (Ba’kelalan).
The remaining seats are occupied by independent See Chee How (Batu Lintang) and GPS parties which hold 76 seats.
Wong and other PSB leaders had on July 13 last year inked a deal with PDP’s Tiong in Kuala Lumpur to form a partnership with each other at state and national levels. – The Vibes, February 18, 2024
.jpg)
