The four are Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) and SUPP.

“Following the state’s current political scenario on seat allocation and the developments in PBB and merger of component parties, it is important for Sarawak BN to relook at the ‘BN spirit’ of power sharing. In the past, not a single component party could rule by itself.

“This is the understanding. Taking the cue here, we should emerge as a single party – BN Sarawak – in the next few years,” he told reporters here when asked to comment on the BN-friendly United People’s Party (UPP) merger with SPDP.

A Chinese daily reported that UPP and SPDP would merge under a new entity named the “United Democratic Party”.

“The future will be about the consolidation of all BN parties. But to consolidate or merge, a lot of legal process will be involved. If not done properly, this could backfire.

“It only takes one member to lodge a complaint to the Registrar of Societies for the whole party to be deregistered. SUPP was once caught in the situation and was almost deregistered,” he said.

He believed the proposal to merge as one single party would take time and personally, he was all for it.

When asked on the new Cabinet formation, Sim said he met Chief Minister Adenan Satem, who is also the Sarawak BN chairman.

“We not only talked about the Deputy Chief Minister’s post but also Chinese representation in the Cabinet. I cannot disclose more until a decision is made (by Adenan),” he said.

After the May 7 polls, all eyes are on the new Cabinet lineup, especially on the Deputy Chief Minister’s post.

Talks are rife that Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Douglas Uggah Embas who won in the Bukit Saban seat is among the favourite names.

He would represent the Pesaka (Dayak) Wing of PBB while the other name mentioned is Dr James Jemut Masing, the president of PRS.

– BERNAMA