KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 2 — After being seen campaigning on behalf of Perikatan Nasional (PN) ahead of the Penang state polls, former Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) president Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin has indicated that she is thinking of joining Parti Gerakan.
The former Ampang MP did not dismiss the possibility of joining the party, but only if she is allowed to use the platform to promote racial diversity.
“Maybe,” she was quoted as saying by Malaysia Gazette when asked whether she had any intention of joining Gerakan.
“There’s a possibility of me looking for a platform that I’ve been talking about to bring a multiracial image.
“As we can see, there are already a lot of Malay leaders — Bersatu has Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yasin, Datuk Seri Azmin Ali, Peja (Datuk Seri Faizal Azumu)... so there’s no need to add another Malay there.
“I’m only taking a break from contesting, not from the political arena,” she said, while saying she was still a “political activist” for PN.
Zuraida, a former PKR vice-president, said she was currently helping Gerakan president Datuk Dominic Lau campaign in the Bayan Lepas constituency to help PN gain more non-Malay votes in the state.
She said that Lau’s candidacy was a message to show non-Malays in Penang that the “green wave” was only a DAP scare tactic.
“I will help PN gain inroads into the non-Malay voters,” she said.
The Election Commission (EC) has set August 12 as the polling date for the state elections in Selangor, Kedah, Penang, Kelantan, Terengganu and Negeri Sembilan as well as the Kuala Terengganu by-election.
