Sarawak opposition party PSB pledges support for Anwar, Abang Johari

Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB), which managed to secure only three seats at the last state election in 2021, has announced its support for the leadership of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Sarawak Premier Abang Johari Openg.  

In a statement last night, PSB president Wong Soon Koh said the decision to support the current federal and state government leadership was to ensure national stability, solidarity and unity.

"At the moment in our country, there are two opposing political forces pitting against each other – one is moderation seeking consensus and adopting a give-and-take attitude and the other is leaders advocating racism and religious extremism, seeking divide and rule. 

"For the sake of national stability, solidarity and unity, the choice before us is obvious," he said.

He said Anwar should be given full support to enable his administration to carry out his objective of Malaysia Madani, in order to wipe out corruption and inefficiency and to right the wrongs of the past and remove the forces of divisions among the people.

"We know that the GPS (Gabungan Parti Sarawak) government has given its full support to the unity government. We PSB will therefore, at state level, pledge our full support  to our premier (Abang Johari) in the spirit of unity to enable him to carry out his 'Peoples First' initiatives," he said. 

Wong’s statement followed PSB’s decision to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), a GPS component party, which he signed together with PDP president Tiong King Sing in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. 

At the signing ceremony, Tiong said that the parties had reached a consensus to support one another as they both wanted to see prosperity and political stability in the nation.

Following PSB's decision, the Sarawak state assembly which has a total of 82 assembly members has been left with only two opposition members: Chong Chieng Jen (Padungan) and Violet Yong (Pending), both from DAP.

DAP remains as the opposition at the Sarawak state assembly level but is part of Pakatan Harapan at the federal level, which formed the government together with GPS after the 15th general election.