Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg (front, second right) and his wife Puan Sri Juma'ani Tuanku Bujang (seated right) taking a photo with PDP leaders and members led by president Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing (front, third right) at the Raya open house in Kuching. - ZULAZHAR SHEBLEE/The Star
KUCHING: Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) will discuss seat allocation involving the now-dissolved Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) before the next state election, says Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
This comes after three assemblymen from PSB joined the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), a GPS component party, following PSB's dissolution last month.
The three are former PSB president and Bawang Assan assemblyman Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh, Johnichal Rayong (Engkilili) and Baru Bian (Ba'Kelalan).
ALSO READ: PSB dissolution will allow Sarawak to progress, says state minister
Abang Johari said the seat discussions would only involve Bawang Assan and Engkilili as Ba'Kelalan was previously allocated to PDP to contest.
Bawang Assan and Engkilili were previously contested by the Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP), another GPS component.
"We will discuss it, but when is the (next state) election? Definitely, not tomorrow.
"We will see what happens," he told reporters at his Hari Raya open house here on Wednesday (April 10).
The last state election was held in 2021.
On April 6, Wong and other former PSB members were officially welcomed into PDP at a dinner in Sibu.
ALSO READ: Former PSB chief Wong Soon Koh to be PDP's senior VP
Previously an opposition party, PSB received approval from the Registrar of Societies (RoS) to dissolve on March 19.
Asked whether GPS had given the green light to PDP's en bloc acceptance of former PSB members, Abang Johari said this was a decision by the leaders of both parties.
He said since PSB was now dissolved, its key members and their supporters had decided to join PDP.
"Let it be. What is important is that PSB has acknowledged the policies of the GPS government.
"In the last election they questioned our policies but now they have to acknowledge the fact that GPS has delivered and we have a very clear direction of what we are going to do in Sarawak," he added.
