KUALA LUMPUR, June 5 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob today said he has yet to meet Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin to discuss her Cabinet position as she is still on leave.
He also confirmed that no date has been set for their meeting even though she has returned from a work visit to Turkey last Thursday and announced her intent to resign as the plantation industries and commodities minister two weeks ago.
“Not yet, Zuraida is still on leave. The dates I will fix eventually,” Ismail Sabri told reporters after officiating at the World Environment Day at Taman Tugu here.
Zuraida announced her plan to meet with Ismail Sabri and intent to resign from the Cabinet on May 26, the same day she declared her entry into Parti Bangsa Malaysia, automatically giving up her membership in Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu).
On the same day, Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said he intends to furnish a new name to replace Zuraida as minister as the position “was part of Bersatu’s quota”.
Ismail Sabri on May 28 said that Zuraida will remain as minister for the time being, and that he would make a final decision after meeting with her.
He also said Zuraida can still attend Cabinet meetings as she is not deemed to have resigned as minister nor was she sacked.
Following Zuraida's defection to PBM from Bersatu, Ismail Sabri also denied he will implement a Cabinet reshuffle in order to strengthen his position in leading the administration.
Zuraida had been a long-time member of PKR and was also its vice-president before joining several other PH members in the 'Sheraton Move' that saw Muhyiddin form the Perikatan Nasional coalition with Islamist party PAS to wrest federal power.
After Muhyiddin stepped down as PM, Zuraida was again made a member of the Cabinet under the current leadership of Ismail Sabri from Umno.
