MIRI – Sarawak “opposition” leader Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh has openly declared that his Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) will be officially absorbed into the state’s ruling coalition Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) via a merger with GPS component Progressive Democratic Party (PDP).
Wong, who is PSB president, said it will cease to exist once the merger is realised and all its members and leaders will become part of PDP, under the leadership of PDP president Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing.
Speaking during a gathering of the PSB and PDPs grassroot in Sibu town, Wong said both PSB and PDP have formed a joint high-level leadership committee to work towards the merger in December.
Wong is the state assemblyman for Bawang Assan in Sibu town.
He is still officially the state assembly opposition leader as his party has three assemblymen, DAP has two assemblymen, and there is one independent representative.
Wong said the joint PSB-PDP leadership committee will be responsible for charting out the finer details of the merger.
“Our target date for the merger is sometime in December. Under the merger plan, PSB will be absorbed into PDP.
“We in PSB will become a part of PDP and the merged entity will have PDP president Tiong as president.
“Since PDP is a component party of GPS, we will all be part of GPS,” he said.
The post he is to hold in the merged entity is still not decided, he said, adding that the “nitty gritty details about posts are being worked out”.
Wong said what is most important is that PSB wants to merge with PDP because it wants to support the unity government under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and also support GPS under Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg.
However, there are calls for Wong and the PSB assemblymen to resign to make way for by-elections.
PKR’s Miri branch chief Dr Teo Yu Keng had called on the three PSB assemblymen to resign to enable by-elections to be called so that voters can make known how they feel about PSB “jumping” into the arms of state ruling coalition GPS.
On July 18, Sarawak premier and GPS chairman Abang Johari and GPS component parties convened a meeting to discuss the move by its coalition member PDP to link up with “opposition” party PSB.
The meeting was attended by leaders of GPS component parties Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu, Sarawak United Peoples Party, Parti Rakyat Sarawak, and PDP.
Johari said GPS welcomed the move by PSB to work with PDP and GPS.
A Sarawak Pakatan Harapan senator said PSB’s move aims to kill off the opposition in Sarawak.
Senator Abun Sui, who is state PKR deputy chairman and state PH information chief, said PSB is no longer considered an opposition party in Sarawak.
PSB has three seats in the 82-seat state assembly, DAP two, GPS 76, and an independent holds one in Batu Lintang. – The Vibes, August 20, 2023
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