Abu Bakar Amit (front, third left) handing over an envelope containing membership application forms to Wan Abdillah Edruce (fourth left) who receives on behalf of PSB president Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh.
MIRI: Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) today welcomed several former grassroots leaders and members of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) who had left the party to join PSB in its battle to bring about political change in Sarawak.
Speaking at the handing over of membership application forms at a function held here today, PSB president Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh said it was heartwarming to feel the eagerness and enthusiasm of the new members, especially since they were leaders and members of PBB Pujut branch who had decided to leave the party.
“On behalf of Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB), I would like to extend a warm welcome to Abu Bakar Amit (former PBB Pujut branch chief), Ishak Ahmad (former PBB Pujut Information chief), Lila Mohamad (former PBB Pujut women chief) and Jekaria Abdul Para (former PBB member) as well as more than 300 of their followers who are all joining PSB today.
“What is worth mentioning is that they are leaders and members of PBB Pujut branch who have left PBB to join PSB. I will leave to them to express their reasons for wanting to make the change,” he said.
Wong’s text speech was read by PSB candidate for Lingga, Datuk Wan Abdillah Edruce Abdul Rahman.
He stressed that PSB is a multi-racial party with support from across Sarawak with the Malays, Melanau, Iban, Bidayuh, Orang Ulu, Chinese and other races working hand in hand to form the party.
“It can be seen that PSB appeals to all Sarawakians. The reason is that PSB is truly multi-racial, unlike parties in Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) that claim to be multi-racial but are not really so,” he lamented.
He went on to say that another reason why PSB was appealing to Sarawakians is because it was a truly Sarawak based party with no affiliation to any West Malaysians parties.
PSB, Wong said, was unlike GPS which joined hands with United Malay National Organisation (UMNO), Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) and Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) to cause the fall of the popularly elected Pakatan Harapan government and allow Perikatan Nasional to form a back-door government.
Other reasons, he said was the failure of the then Barisan Nasional (BN) and GPS government to develop the state and its people.
“BN and GPS have governed Sarawak for nearly 60 years. In that time, after joining the Federation of Malaysia with Singapore, look at the development in Singapore compared to Sarawak, despite the huge abundance of oil, gas and timber that Sarawak.
“The difference lies in the fact that Singapore had a good government. The BN and GPS government has failed to bring about the development that the people of Sarawak are entitled to. It is time for a change of government. It is time for the people to vote for change,” he said.
Wong said PSB is confident that within three years of forming the next state government, the people of Sarawak will be able to feel the difference. He reiterated that PSB will become a government that is picked by the people and for the people and will benefits the majority of the people.
“I therefore welcome our new comrade in arms that have left PBB Pujut branch to join PSB in our battle to bring about change Sarawak,” he said.
Earlier, Abu Bakar Amit (former PBB Pujut branch chief) was picked as PSB Lambir protem chairman while Ishak Ahmad (former PBB Pujut Information chief) as deputy president , Lila Mohamad (former PBB Pujut women chief) as vice president and Corriena Sarkawi as the branch’s secretary.
The newly formed PSB Lambir branch has thus far recruited more than 300 members.