Sarawak's PBB to leave Barisan Nasional: Media report

PETALING JAYA: Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), the ruling party in Sarawak, will be withdrawing from Barisan Nasional, according to a report by The Malaysian Insight (TMI).

The news portal reported on Thursday (June 7) that Barisan acting chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi pleaded with PBB president Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg to remain in the coalition, but the party had decided otherwise.

“Zahid told Abang Johari that Barisan would be destroyed if PBB left,” TMI reported a source as saying.

However, the Sarawak Chief Minister said in response that it could be destroyed in the 2021 state elections if it did not distance itself from Barisan.

The portal also reported that Abang Johari had informed Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad of its decision to leave Barisan on May 31.

It added that the decision to leave the coalition would only be confirmed after the other three Sarawak-based Barisan aligned parties – Parti Rakyat Sarawak, Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) and Progressive Development Party – were consulted.

TMI also reported that SUPP had made a decision to withdraw from Barisan on May 15, but the decision was not made public.

During the 14th General Election, Sarawak Barisan had contested 31 federal seats and won 19.