KUCHING, Aug 21 — Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) component parties need to give their approval before the proposed merger of the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) and Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) can proceed, said Datuk Snowdan Lawan.

The Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) Youth chief said the matter needs to be brought up in the next GPS Supreme Council meeting.

"Let the GPS Supreme Council decide and it needs to be brought to a meeting later to be determined. Any decision must be made unanimously,” he said in a report by the Sarawak Public Communications Unit (Ukas).

The Deputy Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts told reporters this after closing the 2023 Asian Association for Sport Management (AASM) Conference.

Snowdan said presently the proposed merger is still a matter between PDP and PSB.

"Now we still see it as something outside of GPS. This is only between the supreme councils of PDP and PSB or a memorandum of collaboration between these two parties,” he said.

Yesterday, Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) president Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian had refused to comment on the proposed merger when met by reporters.

In Sibu on Saturday (August 19), PDP president Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing had said he is targeting for PDP and PSB to merge by December.

In this regard, Tiong called on PDP top leaders to work together with PSB to move forward to serve the people with a sincere heart.

Tiong said this at the PDP-PSB Unity Dinner, which was attended by 2,000 people.

At the same event, PSB president Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh said a high-level committee will soon be formed to work towards the merger of both parties.

The PSB president said the merger will come under the "bigger umbrella of PDP”, with Dato Sri Tiong King Sing as president of the newly-merged party.

PDP is a component of GPS, along with PRS, Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), and SUPP.

PSB contested as against GPS in the 2021 state election and 2022 parliamentary election.

PDP and PSB had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Kuala Lumpur on July 13 in what many viewed as a first possible step towards a merger. — Borneo Post Online