AMPANG, June 9 — Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin today confirmed that she has yet to meet Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob concerning her position in his Cabinet after switching to a new party.
The Ampang MP, who was officially declared a member and president-designate of Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) today, also expressed her willingness to continue as plantation industries and commodities minister, despite offering to resign two weeks ago.
“I have yet to get a date to meet PM as he is now in Kedah to have audience with the Sultan. I am still waiting,” she told reporters at the Grand Barakah Hotel here this afternoon, following PBM's announcement to welcome her into its ranks.
But if given the chance to continue helming the ministry, Zuraida said: “I am ready”.
PBM president Larry Sng told reporters he hopes the PM will retain Zuraida as a Cabinet member even though she has switched parties.
He said she had shown an encouraging performance as minister so far.
“We hope PM would retain her,” he said.
Zuraida, a long time member of PKR, first became a minister when the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition won Election 2018.
She remained a minister after the PH government collapsed in early 2020 after exiting PKR, along with several other MPs from the party and joined Bersatu.
Sng also told reporters that PBM plans to join the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition in the near future.
“There have been verbal discussion between us and BN before. We will be formally submitting an application soon,” he said.
The BN coalition comprises Umno, MCA, MIC, and Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah.
BN chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said on June 1 that it had yet to receive a formal application from PBM.
