Lawan, who is Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) Youth chief, said the matter will need to be discussed in the upcoming GPS Supreme Council meeting, Borneo Post reported.

“Let the GPS Supreme Council decide before presenting it at a meeting to be determined later. Any decision must be made unanimously,” he was quoted as saying.

The state deputy tourism, creative industry and performing arts minister told reporters this after the closing ceremony of the 2023 Asian Association for Sport Management (AASM) conference.

PDP is a component of GPS, along with PRS, Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), and Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP).

Lawan added that currently, the proposed merger is still a matter between PDP and PSB.

“(As of) now, we still see it as something outside of GPS. This is only between the Supreme Councils of PDP and PSB based on a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between these two parties,” he said.

Yesterday, SUPP president Dr Sim Kui Hian refused to comment on the proposed merger when asked by reporters.

PDP president Tiong King Sing had earlier said he was targeting for PDP and PSB to merge by December.

At a PDP-PSB dinner on Saturday, Tiong called for PDP leaders to work together with PSB in moving forward to serve the people.

At the same event, PSB president Wong Soon Koh said a high-level committee would be set up to work towards the merger of both parties.

Wong said the merger would come under the “bigger umbrella of PDP”, with Tiong to remain as president following the merger.

PDP and PSB signed an MoU in Kuala Lumpur on July 13, in what many perceived as a first step towards a merger between the two parties.