PSB renounces opposition status, says reassessed its role due to political changes

PARTI Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) leaders have gone very public in renouncing the party’s status as an opposition party in Sarawak.

PSB president Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh has declared in public gatherings that the party is no longer on the opposition side.

“Due to current political changes in the state and country, PSB is forced to reassess our role in the political arena.

“We have to look at the current situation from a realistic perspective.

“We fully support 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 the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), a component party of the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) state government.

He said 80,000 members in PSB will join the PDP, which has almost 100,000 members, to become one of the largest parties in Sarawak.

Wong said this at a new year gathering organised by PSB and PDP in Sibu.

Wong is still the opposition leader in the Sarawak assembly.

With him having publicly renounced PSB’s opposition status, the only opposition assemblymen left in the state are Sarawak DAP’s Chong Chien Jen (assemblyman for Padungan) and Violet Yong (Pending).

The three PSB assemblymen (who were once in the opposition) currently in the Sarawak assembly are Wong Soon Koh (who is assemblyman for Bawang Assan), Johnical Rayong (Engkili) and Baru Bian (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, January 3, 2024