KUCHING, June 12 — Sarawak’s four ruling parties are merely rebranding themselves under a new name as Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), the state Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Chong Chieng Jen said.

He expressed scepticism over their abandonment of Barisan Nasional (BN), calling their declaration of support for the federal PH government superficial without a clear change in policies.

"No matter what name they call themselves, they are still the same, old component parties of the Sarawak Barisan, practising the same, old Barisan policies unless there is a clear change of policies by the state government.

"Otherwise, mere change of name from Sarawak BN to GPS is meaningless,” he told Malay Mail when contacted this afternoon.

Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Abang Johari Openg announced the departure of Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) earlier today.

The four Sarawak ruling parties won 19 of 31 parliamentary seats in Sarawak under the BN banner in the May 9 general election.

In an immediate reaction, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who is also national PH chairman, said the Sarawak parties pledge of support for the federal government serves to boost the coalition’s strength in Parliament.

But Chong, who is also Stampin MP, called for caution in embracing its new Borneo allies.

"A friend in need is a friend indeed. But surely, they do not subscribe to such a notion. They will only be friends in good times. In difficult times, they have no hesitation to dump their friends,” he said.

He predicted that the four parties will return to BN if its national lynchpin Umno can become strong again.

As an example, Chong said GPS leaders had been singing the praises of former BN leader Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

He pointed out that SUPP president Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian and Abang Johari had said Najib was the best prime minister for Sarawak.

"As late as May 14, 2018, PRS president Tan Sri Dr James Masing said that he would ‘sink or swim with BN’, and yet, they now all quit BN, adding insult to injury,” Chong said.

He was not alone in his view. Other PH component leaders contacted also said Malaysians should take Abang Johari’s abandonment of BN and declaration of support for the Mahathir administration with a pinch of salt.

"It is more for their own political survival and to save their own skin in the coming state election,” state DAP vice chairman Leon Jimat Donald said.

Sarawak chapter of Parti Amanah Negara chairman Mohammed Fidzuan Zaidi described the new GPS alliance as "a change of clothes” for the four parties involved and said he does not expect any further transformation.

"But it is good that they want to cooperate and collaborate with the PH federal government in the interest of Sarawak and the people.

"Such cooperation and collaboration must be based on government-to-government, and as a new political grouping, GPS is still our rival. So, they must be ready to face us in the next state election due in three years’ time,” he said.

Fidzuan said he believes that Sarawak PH and GPS can work together to reclaim the state’s rights such the oil and gas resources from the Petronas.

State PKR chief Baru Bian declined to comment on the pull-out, but asked the four parties to publicly state why they no longer wanted to stay in BN.

"Why do they want to distance themselves from Barisan now? I thought all of them are strong supporters of Barisan,” he said when contacted.