We joined PDP with no conditions, says Soon Koh

Former PSB president Wong Soon Koh is now a senior vice-president of the Progressive Democratic Party, a member of Sarawak’s ruling coalition. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Parti Sarawak Bersatu was not dissolved and absorbed into the Progressive Democratic Party for the sake of posts in the state Cabinet, says former PSB president Wong Soon Koh.

Wong said he did not set any conditions before members of his party joined PDP, according to The Borneo Post.

“No, I didn’t ask for anything. No conditions,” he said, while expressing his readiness to help the state government in any capacity given his wealth of experience as a minister in previous state governments.

Wong, a seven-term assemblyman for Bawang Assan, is now a senior vice-president of PDP. He was formerly with the Sarawak United People’s Party and had served as the second finance minister as well as international trade and e-commerce minister.

Wong said PSB’s dissolution was a first for Malaysia. The Registrar of Societies told him no other political party had ever dissolved itself, he said.

“All the other parties, one way or another, were deregistered. But for us, no. We dissolved ourselves to pave the way for us to join PDP so that we are part of Gabungan Parti Sarawak,” he said.

PSB was officially dissolved last week and its members accepted en bloc into PDP following approval of the party’s dissolution on March 19.

Engkilili assemblyman Johnical Rayong Ngipa and Ba’Kelalan assemblyman Baru Bian were appointed as PDP vice-presidents.