Bersatu Supreme Council member Redzuan Yusof said the offer was made to him on the sidelines of a Parliament sitting last December – the same month PBM was officially launched.
“Zuraida said she was leaving (Bersatu) after losing confidence in Bersatu and its leadership,” Redzuan told FMT.
“She said ‘Pak Wan, I want to leave Bersatu to preside over PBM’. She also invited me to join, but I said ‘no way’ because I co-founded Bersatu.”
Redzuan said he urged Zuraida not to make her plans public as she was part of the Cabinet. He said that, not long after, Bersatu leaders were discussing reports of her being behind PBM.
He said Zuraida took his advice by staying out of PBM’s launch, but she went on to chair PBM’s Supreme Council meetings, which Bersatu eventually found out about. She was then issued a show cause letter.
Redzuan said PBM was preparing for an interesting “dynamic” in national politics ahead of the next general election (GE15), which he predicted would not be dominated by a single party.
“So I think a number of people are positioning themselves (by) creating parties so that they can command senior positions,” he said.
“They will pledge support for whatever government that is formed, and I think they can use that platform to gain positions in the (new) administration. That’s all I can say.”
Zuraida, a former PKR vice-president, joined Bersatu after being sacked from the Anwar Ibrahim-led party in the wake of the Sheraton Move in 2020.
Rumours that Zuraida would be leaving Bersatu for PBM had been swirling since late last year, with the former PKR vice-president speculated to lead the party currently helmed by Julau MP Larry Sng, the former PKR Sarawak chief.
In a statement, PBM secretary-general Nor Hizwan Ahmad confirmed that the party had received Zuraida’s application, adding that it would be discussed by its Supreme Council.
Nor Hizwan, Zuraida’s former political secretary, said PBM was “proud and honored” that Zuraida had applied to join the party, describing her as a dedicated MP with a good track record.