Pros and cons in PSB-PDP merger

KUCHING: There are pros and cons in the merger of Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), according to political analyst Professor Dr Novel Lyndon.

He said that the PSB-PDP merge is driven by three agendas.

“Firstly, this merger will ensure that PSB remains relevant in Sarawak politics after a significant loss in the previous state election.

“Secondly, it aims to ensure that seats contested by the Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) are given to them, moving away from the traditional seat-sharing based on party distribution to a candidate’s strength or grassroots support.

“Thirdly, the merger of both parties is expected to provide an alternative for Sarawak’s Bumiputera and Chinese ethnic groups who are dissatisfied with SUPP or PRS.

“Moreover, PDP and PSB originated from splinter parties such as Sarawak National Party (SNAP), Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS), and SUPP,” he told New Sarawak Tribune recently when asked to comment about PSB joining PDP before the Chinese New Year next February.

However, Novel also highlighted several questions that may arise regarding this merger.

“Will this merger be accepted by the components within the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS)?

“Who are the key players driving this merger, and is the merger agenda planned to take over the roles of SUPP and PRS?

“What about the acceptance of grassroots PDP members or PDP members? Are they willing to share appointed political positions?” he questioned.

He added that the merger should be analysed using Strength-Weakness-Opportunities-Threats (SWOT) analysis and Cost-Benefit Analysis.

He emphasised that at the grassroots level, the governing party and which party merges are not major concerns for the people.

“What is important is physical, social, regional development, and government assistance or subsidies,” he said.