SARAWAK assemblyman Rolland Duat has denied he ever had any plans or any “intention to join PKR” after a posting of his alleged PKR membership went gone viral on social media.

The Meluan rep from People’s Democratic Party (PDP) told The Malaysian Insight that “it (defection rumour) was created by a mischievous person in my constituency”.

“I never ever have any plans or intention to join PKR. I (am) still loyal to my PDP and president Tiong King Sing and also to the chief minister of Sarawak,” he said.

Deputy Chief Minister Douglas Uggah tonight also denied the social media postings that Duat had crossed over to PKR.

“Not true,” was Uggah’s terse reply.

In PKR’s website, Duat’s membership status indicated his application to join the Pakatan Harapan member party was accepted on June 27 and was given the membership number Q1800009129.

Duat, from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) neither answer calls nor reply to WhatsApp messages on queries of the alleged membership.

The ruling GPS is a four-party coalition of Sarawak parties – Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) and PDP.

Speculation that nine GPS elected reps – 6 PBB MPs and three assemblymen from PRS and PBB – will defect had been rife in recent weeks, with an unknown party, Parti Pribumi Sarawak, claiming all nine would be joining them “at the right time”.

All the six PBB MPs have dismissed the claim.

A source in PKR told The Malaysian Insight that Duat’s membership surprised him as he was not aware “such a high profile person had joined the party.

“Not possible not to know,” he said.

“As far as I am concerned, I have no knowledge of Rolland Duat even applying to join the party and I am very sure Rolland Duat too has no idea he is now a PKR member… maybe not until he saw it on the various social media postings.”

The source said he believed Duat’s name could have been submitted for membership by one of the aspiring candidates in party elections to “inflate his support”.

Meluan is one of the two state seats in the Julau parliamentary constituency won by independent Larry Sng in the May 9 general election.

Sng has since joined PKR.

“To make it look like they have support, an aspiring candidate could have copied names from the electoral roll and submit the names to party headquarters for membership.

“Is there foul play and wrongdoing? Well, up to the party leadership to investigate and find out.

“But the fact he had a membership number showed there was an application and the application had sailed through all the various vetting stages.”

PBB vice-president Abdul Karim Hamzah told The Malaysian Insight tonight that the latest claim of a crossover did not surprise him.

“I’ve not heard of him attempting to crossover. He was with the Sarawak coalition (GPS) in the last state assembly sitting.

“In politics, there can be many surprises and this one does not surprise me at all.”

Karim, who is also state tourism, arts, culture, youths and sports minister said Sarawakian elected representatives who care and have their heart for Sarawak “will stay loyal and steadfast with Sarawak based GPS parties”. – August 10, 2018.