Wong (centre) flanked by Lo (right) and Johnical at the press conference. – Pic by Chimon Upon
KUCHING: Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) president Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh said there was nothing much he could do when he was in the State Cabinet because he was always in a minority.
He said based on the British (Westminster) model, there was this collective decision and collective responsibility.
The state cabinet, he said, made the decision and if one person disagreed, the minority had to follow.
“I was always in the minority. And so if you are not happy, if you don’t want to follow, you just have to resign.
“So I resigned in order to break free my PSB as a party so that we can be independent and can do what we think is good for the people of Sarawak,” he told a press conference after launching the PSB Kota Sentosa branch office and Batu Kitang Service Centre and Kota Sentosa at Mile 7 here yesterday.
Wong said even during the heydays of the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), the party which he was a part of, had always been the minority.
Earlier in his speech, Wong said he was aware that people were asking why hadn’t he talk about change, why hadn’t he talk about better government when he was holding a senior position in the cabinet for so long.
“Now, I would like to tell people that based on the Westminster’s model there is this collective decision and collective responsibility.
“Nothing much we can do. Minority must follow the majority,” he said.
Asked if PSB had decided on its candidates for Kota Sentosa and Batu Kitang, he said there were potential candidates, ‘but not confirmed yet’.
He said the party would confirm its final candidates for the two seats when the time comes.
“We know that people are all very anxious to know our candidates, but the final confirmation comes when they get the authorization letter (Surat Watikah).
“But it is obvious, for Batu Kitang we have Liu Thian Leong who has been moving around, and Datuk Dr John Lau for Kota Sentosa.
“They are our potential candidates for the moment. When the time comes we will confirm them,” he said.
PSB secretary general George Lo and vice president Johnical Rayong were also present at the function.