KUALA LUMPUR: Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia is said to have lined up several names to replace Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin’s position in the Cabinet, sources said.
They are party information chief Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan, Masjid Tanah MP Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin and Alor Gajah MP Datuk Seri Mohd Redzuan Yusof.
Although Bersatu said Wan Saiful was the frontrunner, he would have to be made a senator as he is not an elected representative.
According to a source, Bersatu had an unfilled quota in the Dewan Negara and appointing Wan Saiful as senator “will not be a hindrance”.
As for Mas Ermieyati, she is currently Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department and a replacement is needed if she is to be elevated as minister.
It has been three weeks since Zuraida, who is the Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister, quit Bersatu to join Parti Bangsa Malaysia.
On Tuesday, Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin reiterated that Zuraida’s Cabinet post be alloted to his party.
He said he would meet Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob over the matter.
Malaysian Council of Professors senior fellow Dr Jeniri Amir said with the current Parliament term coming to an end, Ismail Sabri might not be in favour of a Cabinet reshuffle at this stage.
“The Prime Minister does not seem to be in a rush to decide on this.
“If he really wants to make changes and is acceding to Bersatu’s request to choose a replacement for Zuraida, he would have done it already,” he added.