KUCHING: Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) is unlikely to emulate Parti Sarawak Bersatu by 'merging' with Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), said a political analyst.
The University of Tasmania's James Chin cited two reasons for this.
For one, he said, PRS would never accept a non-Dayak leader.
Chin drew this conclusion from the upheaval a now-defunct Dayak party — Sarawak National Party (SNAP) — had experienced.
Secondly, he said, PDP president Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing would never accept anything less than the presidency in a new political alignment.
Both PRS and PDP are members of the ruling coalition, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).
The other parties in GPS are Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu and Sarawak United People's Party.
SNAP was formed on April 10, 1961 to pave the way for Dayaks' participation in politics.
In 1963, SNAP began accepting non-Dayaks as members. Timber tycoon Datuk Amar James Wong was the first Chinese to join it.
Wong had challenged Tan Sri Leo Moggie, a former works minister, for the presidency in the party election in December 1981.
He defeated Moggie, and his supporters also ousted the latter's men in the election.
Senior leaders of SNAP felt it should be led by a Dayak instead of a Chinese.
Eventually, in 1983, Moggie and his supporters left SNAP to form Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS).
A non-Dayak was again at the heart of a leadership tussle in PBDS in the early 2000s.
The president, Datuk Seri Daniel Tajem, was challenged by Tan Sri James Masing.
The feud ended in the party being dissolved twice, first in 2003 and then in 2004.
Soon afterwards, Masing formed PRS.
Datuk Sng Chee Hua teamed up with his son, Datuk Larry Sng Wei Shien, the incumbent Julau member of parliament, to wrest the presidency from Masing in 2006.
The Sngs failed in their bid.
Last year, PRS president Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum told reporters the party was invited to take part in a "collaboration" with PDP.
He, however, said the approval of other GPS members was needed before they could proceed.
Last week, Salang, a former deputy minister in the Barisan Nasional administration under Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, seemed nonchalant about the 'merger' between PDP and Parti Sarawak Bersatu.
He said any political realignment would not have any effect on PRS.
