Ex-PKR MP Baru Bian joins Parti Sarawak Bersatu

Parti Sarawak Bersatu president Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh (right) welcoming Selangau MP Baru Bian into the party. - ZULAZHAR SHEBLEE/ THE STAR

KUCHING: Former PKR lawmakers Baru Bian and See Chee How have joined Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB), a locally-based opposition party.

PSB president Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh said the party accepted Baru and See after a series of discussions over the past few months on the way forward to bring change to Sarawak.

"At our discussions, we discovered that we have common aspirations for the future of Sarawak.

"We are committed to a multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-cultural society and a Sarawak identity that does not distinguish people on the basis of race, religion and culture.

"And so the meeting of minds gave us the confidence to work together. We are indeed very happy to accept Baru and See into our party," he told a press conference at PSB headquarters here on Saturday (May 30).

The Selangau MP and former state PKR chairman quit PKR during the political intrigue that led to the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan Federal Government.

Batu Lintang assemblyman See was sacked from PKR last month for allegedly collaborating with other parties to undermine PKR's leadership.

Wong said PSB's doors were open to other former PKR leaders and members to join the party.

"In our discussions, we have agreed with Baru and See that although we have identified candidates for the majority of state seats, we will collaborate with like-minded opposition parties in the coming state election so that we can win majority seats to form the next state government," he said.

Besides Baru and See, a number of former state PKR branch leaders and supporters also joined PSB.

Baru said they decided to join PSB instead of forming a new political party as time was not on their side to register a new party before the next state election, which is due in mid-2021.

"We (also) do not want to cause a further split among the people of Sarawak by forming a new party.

"We were reinforced in our belief that a new party is not necessary after discovering that PSB’s aspirations dovetail with ours as laid out in my vision of hope for a new Sarawak.

"As a result of that, Wong had no reservations about wholeheartedly accepting what we aim to achieve for Sarawak when we form the next state government," he said.

With Baru and See's entry, PSB now has six representatives in the state legislative assembly, the same number as DAP, as Baru is also the Ba'Kelalan assemblyman.

PSB also has two MPs now in Baru and Sri Aman MP Datuk Masir Kujat.