KUCHING, May 15 — State PKR chairman Baru Bian denied that the party has received an application form from former human resources minister Datuk Seri Richard Riot Jaem to be its member.

Asked if PKR would accept RIot as a member if he applies, Baru said it was premature to answer the question at this stage.

"The social media frenzy that Riot has already submitted his membership form is not true,” the newly elected Selangau MP told Malay Mail here.

Baru said he was not sure if Riot, who was re-elected as the Serian MP in the polls, would even want to join PKR.

Baru said he has only heard the rumours about Riot, who is also the deputy president of the Sarawak United Party (SUPP), from third parties.

Meanwhile, Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen has asked Baru not to accept Riot into PKR’s fold.

"He is not an appropriate person to be accepted into state Pakatan Harapan (PH),” Chong said, pointing out that Riot’s political secretary Datuk Peter Runin was recently released on bail for allegedly being involved in a RM40 million scandal involving funds of the human resources ministry.

He called on the state PKR to have MACC conduct stringent vetting on all candidates before deciding whether or not to accept them into its fold.

"My advice to our component parties — state PKR and Amanah — is to be careful about characters applying to them as members,” Chong, who is also state PH chairman, said.

He said DAP would certainly reject any application from state assemblymen or members of parliament from Barisan Nasional to be its members, especially those who are suspected to be tainted with corruption.

"We owe it to the voters who want to see a clean government formed in Sarawak,” he said.