KUALA LUMPUR, May 26 — Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) will nominate a lawmaker to fill the Cabinet opening of Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin who was no longer a member, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said today.
The Bersatu president said in a statement that Zuraida’s membership was terminated automatically as she has applied to join another political party, in line with the party constitution.
“I thank her (Zuraida) for all her contributions to Bersatu up to this point.
“I will submit a new name to Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob) for the appointment of a new Cabinet member, as Zuraida’s position as a minister was part of Bersatu’s quota,” he said.
Zuraida, who is the plantation industries and commodities minister, announced her decision to join Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) this morning.
The Ampang MP, who is in Turkey on a working trip, also said she would meet with Ismail Sabri soon to discuss her resignation as a minister.
PBM has said it will hold a supreme council meeting to consider Zuraida’s application to join the party.
Today, Muhyiddin pointed out that Bersatu had sent a show-cause letter to Zuraida on May 9 seeking her explanation for reports that she had been indirectly involved in the establishment of PBM, which was launched last December.
He added that Zuraida submitted a written reply on May 23, and that her case has been referred to Bersatu’s disciplinary board.
Previously, Zuraida became a Bersatu supreme council member after walking out of PKR in February 2020 with ten other MPs, leading to the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) ruling coalition that had won the 2018 general election.
