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By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, July 14: Some Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) leaders have expressed their intention of returning to Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), says Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
The GPS chairman revealed this to reporters when asked to comment on the recent collaboration formalised between PSB and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP).
“During the recent Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) session, Wong Soon Koh (PSB president) approached me. To me, for the sake of the people and the State, if they want to assist GPS, of course to me it is okay.
“Some had also stated their intention to return to their original party and to me, it is ‘open’. Now they are having collaboration with PDP – let it be.
“We will have a GPS meeting to listen to the collaboration between PSB and PDP. At the moment, the collaboration is ‘premature’ to me,” he said after attending the signing of memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Innocement Sdn Bhd with SCG International and YTL Cement Berhad held at Grand Margherita Hotel here today.
Abang Johari had earlier said that PSB was not part of GPS, despite their recent announcement of a collaboration with PDP.
Founded in 2014, PSB was actually a splinter party of Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) following a leadership tussle in the party.
In 2018, PSB remained a GPS-friendly party despite being left out of the newly formed GPS coalition.
In July 2019, the party opted to be an independent party when its president, Wong, tendered his resignation from the Sarawak Cabinet as the Minister of International Trade and e-Commerce and Second Minister of Finance.
Asked whether the PSB-PDP collaboration would get any objection from other component parties in GPS such as Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) and Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), Abang Johari replied in negative.
“We see-lah (sic). I don’t think there will be problem because everybody seems to want to build Sarawak.
“I must be (honest) here that even when people support you, we should let it be. It is for the benefit of everybody,” the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) president said.
Abang Johari further pointed out PSB’s willingness to collaborate with PDP showed that the estranged party had realised their ‘mistakes’.
“Yesterday, they fought against me through election but now they have realised that we have delivered (promises).
“I am not a vengeful person. That (collaboration) means you have accepted what we have been doing,” he added. — DayakDaily
