KUCHING: A merger between Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) component parties – Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) and Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), is not necessary, opined Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
Responding to a statement by PDP president Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing who stated that his party is open to merge with PRS, the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) vice president said that since GPS has attained a good equilibrium, the component parties in it should not rock the boat.
“Looking at PDP’s merger with the former Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB), we welcome it as the merger is good for Sarawakians.
“However, if two out of four component parties in GPS decide to merge, what would you think the other two parties would feel? This is for Tiong to see in a bigger perspective. Personally, I see there is no need for such a merger,” he said.
Karim said this at a press conference when attending an Aidilfitri gathering organised by the Integrated Regional Samarahan Development Agency (IRSDA) at Baitulmakmur Building II here today.
Tiong recently commented that PDP was open to a merger with PRS, but stated that it was ultimately up to the latter. He was commenting on a suggestion by Julau MP Larry Sng about a potential merger between PDP and PRS, which Sng said would strengthen the ruling GPS and the ‘Dayak cause’.
Tiong said that anyone is free to suggest a merger, but PRS has to make a decision based on its ‘vision and mission’.
“For PDP, our door is always open. We can always look at it and welcome everybody. Most importantly, at the end of the day we must be one team to work towards saving the nation, especially the state (Sarawak),” he said.
