According to a report from The Borneo Post, the deputy plantation industries and commodities minister said he hoped PBB would accept his application – which he said was submitted several months ago.

“That is true. I have submitted my application to join PBB with the hope that they will accept my application,” he was quoted as saying.

“When the government changed, I (did not) join any party, but I do not deny that I’m being parked to support the government – and technically, they have parked me under Bersatu.

“This is done so that I can make the numbers to support the government of the day,” he said when asked to verify whether he had applied to join PBB.

Willie said he hoped PBB would give his application due consideration, adding that if chosen, he would appreciate the opportunity to carry the party’s flag and represent the people of Puncak Borneo.

He was one of 11 PKR MPs who left the party following the Sheraton Move in February 2020.

He was appointed deputy minister in the Perikatan Nasional-led (PN) government in March 2020 by former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin and maintained his position when Ismail Sabri Yaakob took charge of the government in August 2021.

In April, PBB vice-president Roland Sagah, pointed out that the Puncak Borneo parliamentary seat was a PBB seat, adding that they had “more than enough” capable members in the constituency who could challenge for the seat.

Earlier, Willie said he was ready to defend the seat for Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and hoped that they would give him the opportunity to defend the seat.

PBB is the mainstay of the GPS coalition and holds 48 of the coalition’s 76 seats in the state assembly.