AHMAD Zahid Hamidi today denied knowing anything about Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) – Sarawak’s ruling party – leaving the Barisan Nasional coalition.

Zahid, who is also BN acting chairman, also denied meeting with PBB president Abang Johari Openg, who is Sarawak chief minister, to beg him not to take the party out of the coalition.

“The report that PBB has left is beyond my knowledge. I also did not meet (Abang Johari) as reported, to beg PBB to remain with BN.

“But I respect and welcome the stand of PBB and other component parties in Sarawak that want the state government to form ties with the federal government,” he said in a statement on his Facebook page today.

Zahid, who was formerly deputy prime minister, said BN always kept an open heart and mind in encouraging BN-ruled states to take similar steps for the good of the states and the people.

Earlier today, The Malaysian Insight reported that PBB was going to withdraw from BN despite an 11th-hour plea from Zahid.

Sources told The Malaysian Insight that Abang Johari had on May 31 informed Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad about PBB’s decision to leave BN, and assured the latter that Sarawak would support the Pakatan Harapan government in “matters of Sarawak’s interests, and in the interest of Malaysia as a whole”.

After that meeting in Putrajaya, Aba‎ng Johari reportedly met Zahid in Kuala Lumpur. The acting Umno president allegedly pleaded with Abang Johari not to leave the BN coalition. – June 7, 2018.