Sarawak Workers Party to join Sarawak Baru coalition – Cobbold

KUCHING: Sarawak Baru, an alternative coalition of Sarawakbased political parties has invited Sarawak Workers Party (SWP) into its fold.

Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak Baru (PBDSB) president Cobbold John said SWP is “more or less in the new political coalition” if what SWP president Munan Laja expressed to him yesterday has anything to go by.

Sarawak Baru currently comprising PDBSB, Parti Tenaga Rakyat Sarawak (Teras) and State Reform Party Sarawak (STAR) is an alternative coalition to Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and Pakatan Harapan (PH) for the next state election which must be called by 2021.

PDBSB, Teras and STAR toyed with the idea of this alternative coalition last month but reaffirmed their intention last week as they had lost confidence in being included in GPS.

Cobbold said Sarawak Baru have yet to hold a meeting to streamline their common objectives and also agree on a proposed party logo before getting it registered with the Registrar of Societies (RoS).

With SWP’s inclusion, Sarawak Baru would have four components of local-based parties.

GPS also have four components in Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) while Sarawak PH comprises of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Democratic Action Party and Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah).

PKR, DAP and Amanah are all Peninsular Malaysia-based parties.

Another local-based United People’s Party (UPP) has pledged their allegiance to GPS.