Parti Bangsa Malaysia (Malay for Malaysian Nation Party abbrev: PBM) is a political party in Malaysia. The party was known as the Sarawak Workers Party until 2021, and as the Sabah People's Front until 2012.
It has one Member of Parliament (MP), party president Larry Sng.
History
Early history The party was initially known as the Sabah People's Front, founded in 2010 as a successor to the Federated Sabah People's Front (BERSEKUTU) by Berman Angkap.Parti politik baru untuk Sabah 15 Dis 2010, The Malaysia Insider
It was renamed the Sarawak Workers Party (SWP) following a takeover by former Sarawak Peoples' Party (PRS) members in 2012. The party's inaugural president was Larry Sng, a former assistant minister under Abdul Taib Mahmud. Larry's father, businessman and politician Sng Chee Hua, was reported to be the party's primary backer.
The party branded itself Barisan Nasional (BN)-friendly, but later opened itself to co-operation with the Pakatan Rakyat opposition coalition, including possibly becoming a member.
In the 2013 general election, the party announced its intention to stand only in seats held by the Sarawak Peoples' Party, but denied any vendetta against it.
In 2016, Larry announced that he would be resigning as SWP president ahead of the 2016 Sarawak state election, in which he was set to contest.
Under Engga Unchat's leadership, the party formed Gabungan Anak Sarawak (GASAK) with the Sarawak People's Aspiration Party (ASPIRASI) and New Sarawak Native People's Party (PBDSB) in 2020.
As Parti Bangsa Malaysia The party was renamed Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) and registered as a national-level party on 27 October 2021, with new leadership elected on 14 November, including party president Mohamad Sukri Yusri. Larry, who had been elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Julau as an independent in 2018, was named deputy president. It declared its support for Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) during the 2021 Sarawak state election, and supported the Ismail Sabri cabinet in parliament.
Larry was elected president during an extraordinary general meeting on 8 January 2022, which also elected a new leadership line-up that included a number of elected representatives who were former members of other parties; Leong Cheok Keng, Paul Yong Choo Kiong, Sivasubramaniam Athinarayanan, formerly of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), and Haniza Talha, Daroyah Alwi, and Choong Shiau Yoon, formerly of the People's Justice Party (PKR). The party also announced its intention to become a member of Barisan Nasional.
The party was joined by Zuraida Kamaruddin, the Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities, in June 2022 whereupon she became the party's president-designate. Her membership was preceded by a non-governmental organisation associated with her and her ministry joining the party en masse in December 2021. In August 2022, MP Mohamaddin Ketapi joined the party, followed by deputy tourism minister Edmund Santhara and MP Xavier Jayakumar in October, which gave the party a total of six representatives in parliament. Also in August, the party announced that it and Parti Kuasa Rakyat would co-operate, and that the possible dissolution and merger of Parti Kuasa Rakyat into the party would be discussed. Ultimately, no decision was made to this effect.
A leadership dispute began in October 2022, after the party's information chief announced that Zuraida had been elected president at its annual general assembly. Larry initially challenged the appointment, but was later quoted as saying he would accept the decision. However, with his name still recorded as the party's president by the state registrar, he reversed his position and suspended Zuraida, the party's secretary-general, information chief, and 10 other supreme council members. The dispute was temporarily set aside for the 2022 general election. In that election, the party contested five parliamentary seats (Hulu Selangor, Kapar, Labuan, Ampang and Julau) and two state assembly seats (Tronoh and Bugaya). Larry was returned as the party's sole MP in Julau. Subsequently, Zuraida and 10 other members of the party's supreme council were expelled. A judicial review filed by Zuraida was rejected by the High Court. Following the election, the party supported the formation of and joined the Anwar Ibrahim cabinet, colloquially referred to as the unity government. It was not afforded a ministerial position.
On 14 February 2023, Sng announced a new supreme council line-up for the party, including former Sri Aman MP Masir Kujat as the new party secretary general. On 14 June, Sng announced that PBM will not contest in any of the 6 states involved in 2023 Malaysian state elections, instead supporting candidates fielded by the parties in the unity government, despite being the incumbent in two seats in Selangor. Nor did it contest in the 2025 Sabah state election.
On 2 October 2026, prominent human rights lawyer and activist Siti Kasim announced that she has joined the party. She said that while she has joined a political party for the first time, she will remain independent.
List of PBM presidents
No.NameTerm of officeTime in office 1Larry Sng Wei Shien8 January 2022Incumbent
PBM state chairman PBM Kelantan: Nor Aniza PBM Penang: Enson Neoh Gim Khoon PBM Perak: Azhari Hamid PBM Selangor: Mohd Hedrhin bin Ramli PBM Negeri Sembilan: Dato Haji Baha PBM Johor: Steven Choong Shiau Yoon PBM Sabah: Jupperi Lenson PBM Sarawak: Larry Sng Wei Shien
PBM leadership structure (2024-2027) Source:
President: Larry Sng Deputy President: Choong Shiau Yoon Wong Judat Senior Vice President: Jupperi Lenson Vice President: Mohd Hedrhin Ramli Secretary General: Munan Laja Deputy Secretary General: Jenny Chiew Information Chief: Saarah Ali Bashah Deputy Information Chief: Krishna Govinth Treasurer Chief: Engga Unchat Women Chief: Agnes Padan Youth Chief: Muhamad Hanis Asmui Md Salleh Supreme Council Members: David Munan Jubin Hilton Muda Lavenia Mawas Munan Mohd Yusof Abdullah Engdawie Entingi Johen @ Joehan Gipin Sabahedin Sambikin Darinsing Gohan Aduros Gampangang Judin Tingih Loning Tokuyuk @ Fredoline Dato' Haji Baharudin Abdullah Khairul Azhar Yacob Richard Dompok Jayvin Pandher
Elected representatives Dewan Negara (Senate) Senators
His Majesty's appointee:
Dewan Rakyat (House of Representatives) Members of Parliament of the 15th Malaysian Parliament
PBM has 1 member in the House of Representatives:
State No.Parliament ConstituencyMemberParty P209 Julau Larry Sng PBM Total
Dewan Undangan Negeri (State Legislative Assembly) Malaysian State Assembly Representatives
Selangor State Legislative Assembly Penang State Legislative Assembly Negeri Sembilan State Legislative Assembly Kedah State Legislative Assembly
Johor State Legislative Assembly Perak State Legislative Assembly Perlis State Legislative Assembly
Pahang State Legislative Assembly Sabah State Legislative Assembly Sarawak State Legislative Assembly
Malacca State Legislative Assembly Kelantan State Legislative Assembly Terengganu State Legislative Assembly
The party currently has no representative in any Malaysia State Assembly.
Government offices
State governments At its height PBM supported the BN government in Perak and GRS in Sabah and opposed the PH government of Selangor, only to lose them through state election and defections.
Perak (2022) Sabah (2022)
Note: bold as Menteri Besar/Chief Minister, italic as junior partner
Parliamentary general election results Election Total seats won Seats contested Total votes Voting Percentage Outcome of election Election leader2013(as SWP) 6 15,630 0.14% ; No representation in Parliament Larry Sng2022 5 16,437 0.11% 1 seat; Governing coalition Larry Sng
State legislative assembly general election results State electionState Legislative AssemblyPerlisKedahKelantanTerengganuPenangPerakPahangSelangorNegeri SembilanMalaccaJohorSabahSarawakTotal won / Total contested2/3 majority202220222025
See also Politics of Malaysia List of political parties in Malaysia Barisan Nasional Gabungan Parti Sarawak Perikatan Nasional
Notes
References
Notes
External links Official website of SWP Official Facebook page