KUCHING, Dec 13 — Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) today confirmed that incumbent Dudong State Assemblyman Datuk Tiong Thai King has resigned from the party, with effect from December 1, without stating any reason.

The party secretariat said he had expressed his desire to quit politics to party president Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh after taking over as managing director of Rambunan Group of Companies some months back.

“We respect his right to change his political inclination now and fully understand his reasons for the change as he has responsibility as the head of a large conglomerate in Sarawak with many investments and employees,” the secretariat said in a statement when responding to Tiong’s support for the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) in the state election.

“No doubt, an enterprise needs the cooperation of the administration to continue to function profitably and indeed, exist,” the secretariat said.

The secretariat, however, expressed gratitude to Tiong who had been the prime person for the Dudong branch since January 2015.

“We need to clarify that in all the time that Tiong was with PSB, he was a respected leader who gave a lot of support to the party and its leadership,” it said, adding that he never once expressed any discomfort or reluctance even after PSB left the government and became an opposition party.

“In fact, he was a pioneer and active leader of PSB, who had continued to organise functions for his Dudong branch.

“However, his political involvement with the party took a backseat, with the unfortunate and untimely demise of his nephew, the late Datuk Tiong Chiong Hoo who was then the managing director of the Rimbunan Hijau group of companies,” PSB secretariat said.

It added upon the wishes of the various stakeholders and the family, he took over the helm of Rimbunan Hijau as its new managing director.

“Shortly thereafter, he informed PSB president Datuk Sri Wong Soon Koh that he wished to resign from PSB.

“Thereafter, he took no further part in PSB activities until finally, by letter dated December 1, 2021 to officially resign from the party.