PLANTATION Industries and Commodities Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin, who is now officially a Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) member, was named party president designate today.

Current PBM president Larry Sng said this was at the request of the grassroots and party council.

“When I am unable to attend meetings, the president designate will take the lead,” he told a press conference in Ampang today to officially welcome Zuraida into the party.

Ampang is also Zuraida’s federal constituency, won on a PKR ticket before she moved to Bersatu after the Sheraton Move in 2020, which toppled the Pakatan Harapan government.

On May 26, Zuraida then said she was leaving Bersatu to join PBM, while adding she was willing to resign from the cabinet.

Sng said PBM hoped that Prime Minster Ismail Sabri Yaakob will retain Zuraida for the remainder of her term of office.

Although Zuraida was present at today’s event, the media were barred from asking her any questions.

Sng said that Zuraida would hold another press conference in the coming days.

However, Zuraida did comment that Ismail had not yet given her a date to discuss her position.

“As we all know, the prime minister is very busy with his day-to-day schedule so when the time is right, we will have a meeting,” the Ampang MP said.

Since Zuraida announcement, Umno has pressured Ismail to drop her from the cabinet in favour of a Barisan Nasional MP.

Bersatu also said it will nominate a candidate for the position.

Meanwhile, Sng said PBM now has more than 100,000 members.

“There are more waiting in line to be registered from 196 constituencies,” the Julau MP said, who quit PKR to be an independent MP supporting previous prime minister and Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin.

Sng later founded PBM and is now said to be interested in joining BN.

When asked whether other PKR members, who jumped to Bersatu along with Zuraida, would also be joining PBM, Sng said anyone could join their party.

“PBM welcomes anyone from any party to join us,” he said. – June 9, 2022.