Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said that Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin would lose her position on the party’s supreme council as well as the federal Cabinet if the rumours were verified. — Picture by Shafwan Za
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 7 – Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin will remain a Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) member pending confirmation of her rumoured defection to Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM), Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said.
The Bersatu president said, however, that Zuraida would lose her position on the party’s supreme council as well as the federal Cabinet if the rumours were verified.
“We haven’t made a decision on her position, although many people said that she had joined another party,” he was quoted as saying by the Malaysiakini news portal.
“I have yet to receive the facts, but in short she remains to be a supreme council member. If there are any developments, a review will be done on her status.
“Not only her position as a Bersatu supreme council member, but also in Cabinet because she is appointed in her capacity as a Bersatu member. But for now we have yet to take any decision.”
This morning, The Sun newspaper reported Zuraida as claiming she did not know why she was attacked by some factions in Bersatu for allegedly defecting to Barisan Nasional (BN) friendly PBM.
She also reportedly clarified that her absence from the recent Bersatu supreme council meeting was because she was abroad for work.
Five days ago, news portal The Malaysian Insight reported that Zuraida may soon be expelled from Bersatu, as a majority of the party’s supreme council members have agreed to sack her, due to alleged ties with PBM.
Last Friday, Malay daily Utusan Malaysia reported sources as claiming that Zuraida has been removed from a text messaging group for Bersatu supreme council members.