KUCHING: Former Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak leader Abdul Aziz Isa Marindo’s application to join Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) has yet to be determined.
Premier and PBB president Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the matter is not discussed during the party’s ongoing 16th Triennial General Meeting (TGM).
“That has not been discussed here,” Abang Johari said this to reporters when asked on the status of Abdul Aziz’s application to join PBB, lynchpin of the ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) after officiating at the PBB 16th TGM at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) on Saturday.
Abang Johari also said the party’s meeting focuses on important and major matters.
According to a news report, Abdul Aziz, the former aide to DAP Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen said he relinquished his party membership on Jan 28, after 11-and-a-half years being with the party.
He was also reported to have formally applied to become a member of PBB.
Aziz had said that he initially joined DAP in 2013, driven by youthful idealism and the belief that socialism was among the key issues affecting the nation, whether political, economic or social.
“After contesting twice in the Sarawak state election and spending the last four years in the corporate sector, I had a revelation – the solutions don’t lie in abstract ideology but in pragmatic governance,” he was quoted as saying in a news report by FMT.
He said his experience in the corporate world opened his eyes to the realities of economic growth, where foreign investments, trade, and financial technology emerged as the true drivers of progress.
“The more I studied the policies of thriving economies, the clearer it became: conservatism, not socialism, provides the stability and prosperity that Sarawak needs.
“When I returned to Kuching, I witnessed the remarkable transformation under Abang Johari’s leadership – bold infrastructural developments, digital economy initiatives, and a clear vision for Sarawak’s future.
“It was a stark contrast to the rhetoric I had once believed in, and I thought to myself, ‘Why argue against success?’” he asked.
Aziz also said PBB was the only party that embraced “regionalist conservatism” and advocated for Sarawak to pursue its own path, free from federal interference.
He had described DAP as a globalist socialist party that frequently overlooked the unique aspirations of Sarawakians.
