Sarawak Barisan Nasional’s (BN) component parties have decided to pull out of the former ruling coalition to form a new state-based pact.
Chief Minister and PBB president Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg announced the decision after chairing a meeting of the four party leaders on Tuesday (June 12).
“The component parties of Sarawak Barisan, namely PBB, SUPP, PRS and PDP, have made a unanimous decision to leave Barisan to form a new coalition of Sarawak-based parties, known as Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).
“The decision was made after much deliberation, reflection and due consideration, taking into account the country’s current political developments post-GE14,” he told reporters after the meeting.
Abang Johari said GPS was not joining Pakatan Harapan but would “cooperate and collaborate” with the Federal Government for the national interest and state rights based on the Federal Constitution and the Federation of Malaysia.
“We believe that it is timely and appropriate for Sarawak to embark on a new political platform, going forward, in order to face challenges, in line with the changing aspirations, needs and demands of a very wide range of cross-section of Sarawak’s populace, being a multi-racial, multi-culture and multi-religious state.
“Our new coalition will enable us to focus on Sarawak’s interests and rights based on the Malaysia Agreement 1963.
“We strongly believe that the formation of this new coalition will enable and empower us to serve the people better in line with the aspirations and fulfilling the desires of the people of Sarawak,” he said.
Abang Johari thanked Barisan for the cooperation and success of the past but said Sarawak now had to move in a new direction, in line with the country’s new political situation.
He declined to comment if the 1MDB scandal implicating former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is the reason for the four Sarawak ruling parties’ departure from BN.
He also denied meeting acting Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamid ahead of their withdrawal, adding that he only met Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir after GE14.
On the position of United People’s Party (UPP), he said it will be decided later.
UPP, a breakaway of SUPP, is part of the state administration with its president Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh being appointed the Second Minister of Finance and Minister of International Trade and e-Commerce.
BN has won all previous Sarawak state elections since the coalition’s inception in 1973, with the state also being considered a fixed deposit for BN at the federal level, contributing a huge number of seats in parliament in each general election.
However, in GE14, although BN won the majority of the Dewan Rakyat seats, it lost 10 of them to PH, its worst showing in an election in the state.