Is PSB ‘genuine and credible’ opposition party? Time will tell, says Chong

Chong Chieng Jen

KUCHING (Jan 4): Pakatan Harapan (PH) Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen said today that the coalition is undecided on whether Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) is a ‘genuine and credible’ opposition party that it can work with in the coming state polls.

Although it was previously reported that there had been informal discussions between Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak, which is a PH member, and PSB, Chong said the coalition has not determined if it should join forces with the new local opposition party.

“I will emphasise again that PH Sarawak will always be open to work with genuine and credible opposition,” he said when contacted over possible clashes between PH and PSB in seats to be contested.

Asked if PH Sarawak would term PSB as a ‘genuine and credible’ opposition party, he said: “Only time can tell, through one’s action and consistency.”

Chong, who is DAP Sarawak chairman and Kota Sentosa assemblyman, pointed out that PSB has no incumbent seats as the party’s six state seats were won under either the Barisan Nasional (BN) or Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) ticket in the 2016 state election.

He stressed that the state PH had been challenging and would continue to challenge BN, which is now Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), in the polls.

Chong had last Saturday announced that PH would contest in the six seats currently held by PSB leaders – Bawang Assan (PSB president Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh), Dudong (Datuk Tiong Thai King), Opar (Datuk Ranum Mina), Engkilili (Dr Johnichal Rayong Ngipa), Ba Kelalan (Baru Bian) and Batu Lintang (See Chee How).

DAP will contest in Bawang Assan and Dudong, while the others would be contested by PKR. PH Sarawak is made up of DAP, PKR and Parti Amanah Negara.

Last month, Chong had told MalaysiaKini that PH Sarawak would work with PSB in the polls but PSB later clarified that there had only been informal discussions with DAP in an effort to avoid contesting in the same seats against GPS in the polls due middle of this year.

PSB, which will be vying for 65 seats in the state polls, said in a statement on Dec 21 that the informal discussions relate only to the urban Chinese majority seats with the sole aim of avoiding three-corner fights which would only benefit GPS.

Meanwhile, PKR Sarawak chairman Larry Sng, when contacted, said his party had identified candidates in all the 47 seats it had been allocated. DAP is contesting in a total of 26 seats and Amanah, 9.

The Julau MP also kept mum about the party’s candidates, saying that the names would be announced at a later date.

Asked if PKR Sarawak would definitely be contesting in the four seats presently held by PSB leaders, Sng said: “Best to wait for the announcement.”

PKR Sarawak previously had two seats in the state legislative assembly after Baru, who was then the party’s state chief, and See won Ba Kelalan and Batu Lintang respectively in the 2016 state elections.

Baru and See joined PSB in May last year, after quitting PKR following the collapse of the PH government.

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from Borneo Post Online https://bit.ly/3pPQAHR
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