KUCHING: Independent MP Jugah Muyang has also applied to join a component party of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).
The Lubok Antu MP submitted his application to Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) some three months ago.
His application means two MPs have applied to enter ruling coalition within the past three months.
Recently, Puncak Borneo MP Datuk Willie Mongin announced that he had applied to join Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), a component of GPS.
Jugah told Free Malaysia Today (FMT) in an interview that Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) president designate Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin had invited him to join her party.
However, he said he declined her offer.
“I had decided earlier on to support a local party from Sarawak. I have already stated my support for the local party (PRS), which is a component party of the GPS coalition.”
So far, there was no decision yet on his application and Jugah said he would leave it to the PRS leadership to decide.
He won Lubok Antu as an independent candidate in GE14 with a 1,059-vote majority and later joined PKR in May 2018, before quitting the party in June 2020 to become an independent MP.
Zuraida had earlier extended invitation to independent MPs to join PBM, saying “the more the merrier”, following rumours that Jugah and Sri Aman MP Datuk Masir Kujat were joining her party.
PBM now has three MPs – Zuraida (Ampang), Larry Sng (Julau) and Steven Choong (Tebrau).
Jugah did not deny that he wanted to join PRS to defend his parliamentary seat in the next general election (GE15), since Lubok Antu was traditionally a PRS party.
Meanwhile, Willie confirmed that he had submitted his application to join PBB after officiating at a presentation of retirement pensions at Kampung Emperoh Semadang.
The former PKR MP told reporters that he had actually not officially joined any political party following the change in the federal government.
“For the record, I had not joined any political parties when the government changed. However, it cannot be denied that I am parked under Bersatu to make the numbers to support the government of the day.
“Today, I still support the government (of the day) to continue serving the people,” he said.
Willie thanked the government for the various assistance and development for the people in Puncak Borneo and hoped it would continue.
“I always believe in working together for political stability at the federal and state levels. I hope that my application to join (PBB) will be given due consideration so that we can work together for the betterment of the people of Puncak Borneo, the state and the country,” he said.
Currently, GPS has 18 MPs. The coalition lost 13 seats in the last general election.
