KUALA LUMPUR: Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin has been appointed as the new Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) president.
Her appointment as the new supremo of the multiracial party was confirmed by the party's secretary-general Nor Hizwan Ahmad in a statement today.
He said PBM's Supreme Council, which met yesterday, unanimously appointed the Ampang Member of Parliament as its new president.
"In relation to this, the Supreme Council which met yesterday had perused and undertook the appropriate process inline with guidelines as contained in the party constitution to appoint YB Datuk Hajjah Zuraida Kamaruddin as the new party president," Nor Hizwan said.
The statement said that the supreme council also thanked outgoing president Larry Sng for leading the party before this.
Zuraida, a former PKR vice-president, quit the Pakatan Harapan component party during the Sheraton Move in Feb 2020.
Together with 10 other federal lawmakers, she then joined Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu). She quit Bersatu in May this year.
PBM currently has six federal lawmakers from Selangor (2), Johor (2), Sabah (1) and Sarawak (1).
They are Zuraida, Sng (Julau), Xavier Jayakumar (Kuala Langat); Datuk Seri Dr Edmund Santhara Kumar Ramanaidu (Segamat); Steven Choong Shiau Yoon (Tebrau); and Datuk Mohammadin Ketapi (Lahad Datu).
The party also has five state lawmakers in Perak, Selangor and Sabah. They are Paul Yong Choo Kiong (Tronoh); Leong Cheok Keng (Malim Nawar); Haniza Mohamed Talha (Lembah Jaya); Daroyah Alwi (Sementa); and Datuk Mohammadin Ketapi (Segama).
The change of guard in the multiracial party, however, is far from smooth.
On Oct 2, Sng had insisted that he is still the president of the party.
The Julau member of Parliament refuted a report published by a news portal stating that he was being replaced by Zuraida.
In the same social media post, Sng stressed he has not resigned as the PBM president and that he would not do so in the event that the 15th General Election is just around the corner.
