KUCHING, Nov 27 — Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) vice president Datuk Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah today welcomed an announcement by Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) not to contest in the December 18 Sarawak state election.

He said it is a good decision because as friends forming the federal government, it is better for Sarawak to conduct its own state election without Bersatu participation.

"Moreover, GPS (Gabungan Parti Sarawak) has informed that it will contest all the 82 state seats in the election,” he told reporters after attending the launch of the state Youth roadshow programme by Chief Minister Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg here.

However, Karim, who is also the state Youth and Sports Minister as well as the Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister, said Bersatu is new and is not known much in Sarawak.

Before the dissolution of the Sarawak State Assembly, Bersatu had Datuk Ali Biju as its sole State Assemblyman. 

Ali won in Krian on PKR’s ticket in 2016 state election and then defected to Bersatu in 2019. 

Karim said he would not want to say if GPS would cooperate with Bersatu in the coming parliamentary election.

Yesterday, Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had said Bersatu would give way to GPS to contest in all the state seats.

The former prime minister said the decision was made taking into account that GPS is capable of winning all the seats to be contested.

"We also have discussed at the party level that we will not contest because we want to ensure that the existing party in Sarawak wins and this is also the wish of GPS leadership,” Muhyiddin said.

GPS chairman Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg had recently said that GPS would contest all the 82 seats in the state election.

Commenting on PAS putting candidates, Karim said the party had contested many times in the past elections and each time they failed to win a seat and most of its candidates lost their election deposits. 

"Why are they still in Sarawak? I also do not know what they want,” he added.

He said question why other peninsular-based parties are still in Sarawak, adding that it is better for them to remain there in the peninsula.