KUCHING, July 13 — Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) vice-president Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah tonight said he welcomes a political collaboration between Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) and Opposition Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Kuala Lumpur.

"Anything that could unite Sarawakians is good,” he told reporters after attending a film premiere at a local cinema here.

"So far I have not seen PSB running us down. They are very balanced. They have said good things to say about what the state government has been doing,” he said.

"And when things are not very good, they have been ticking us off,” Karim, who is also the state minister of tourism, creative industry and performing arts, said.

He said some of the PSB leaders used to be in the state government before, adding that he does not see any problem with the PDP-PSB collaboration.

He said he is sure that there was some consultation behind the scenes before PDP signed the MoU with PSB.

"But then (we have to) wait. It is up to the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) supreme council and Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg to make an official statement on our stand,” he said.

Asked for PBB’s stand on the PDP-PSB collaboration, he said: "We just leave it like that. I feel it is more sweet if the party leadership makes any statement on the matter.”

He said he is not surprised with the collaboration as he knew that there is something behind the scene.

In Kuala Lumpur earlier today, PDP and PSB inked an MoU to collaborate, following a year-long discussion.

PDP president Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing said both parties ultimately reached a consensus to support one another since both strived to see prosperity and political stability in the nation and Sarawak.

PSB president Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh said the decision to pledge his support to PDP was driven by the intent to enable the federal government under Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the state government under the premier.