SRI AMAN MP Masir Kujat’s romance with Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) is over.

The former deputy home minister in the Barisan Nasional government of Najib Razak and who stood on Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) ticket in all his three elections wins for the rural Dayak majority seat, said he had quit from PSB “with immediate effect”.

Masir defected to PSB from Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) in 2019.

He said he would be an independent MP supporting the coalition government of Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

Masir, appointed to PSB’s highest decision making body the presidential council, stated the political instability rocking the country as a key reason for his decision.

He said the instability had damaged the country’s economy, development and in turn undermined the people’s well-being.

“I believe this is the best move and time for us to put aside politics and focus on stabilising the country,” he said.

The former PRS vice president resigned from the party, a member of the state’s ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), after a reported fallout with then party president James Masing who died late last year.

The reason he gave for defecting was that PSB “is a truly multi-racial party (which) can unite all races in Sarawak”.

PSB fielded Masir in the Dayak seat of Balai Ringin in last December’s state election but failed to unseat the PRS incumbent, Snowdan Lawan.

In a three-cornered fight, Masir polled 3,531 votes to Lawan’s 4,816.

The third candidate, Kasim Mana of the pro-independence Parti Bumi Kenyalang polled only 195 votes to lose his deposit.

Balai Ringin is one of three state seats making up the Sri Aman parliamentary seat.

The other two are Bukit Begunan and Simanggang.

The resignation has fuelled rumours that had been swirling for some time that some members, unhappy at how the party conducted itself in last December’s state election, have either left or are contemplating leaving.

Masir is the second PSB candidate who stood in the state election to have left the party.

PSB’s candidate for Stakan, George Young Siricord, resigned earlier this month.

Last week, its information chief Desmond Kho left citing he wants to focus on his law practice. – March 30, 2022.