Sarawak Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg today assured that Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), a new alliance comprising former BN parties in the state, will not be like the old coalition.

Johari said this after announcing the dissolution of Sarawak BN and the formation of the new coalition comprising PBB, SUPP, PRS and PDP.

"No, we will be different," he told a press conference in Kuching when asked if GPS would be "old wine in a new bottle".

Johari explained that the new coalition is no longer tied by BN and can act independently.

"Because our direction will be different. We will be different because we are independent," he said.

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Johari said he was thankful for BN's contributions in the past but said the political landscape had to change and therefore the Sarawak parties must also keep up.

He added that Sarawak BN had won big in the 2016 state election based on former chief minister Adenan Satem's leadership by emphasising on state rights.

As such, Johari said GPS intends to pursue that formula.

"Our successes in 2016 were due to our struggle for Sarawak rights initiated by Tok Nan (Adenan) and we are continuing that mandate from 2016," he said.

Sarawak BN won handsomely in the 2016 state election, winning 72 out of 82 state seats. It was a gain of 17 seats from the last general election, which included new seats.

However, the four GPS component parties, under BN, lost six parliamentary seats in the May 9 general election, leaving it with 19. There are 31 parliamentary seats in Sarawak.

Sarawak is the only state that holds its state elections separately.