“We will have more seats soon with another three MPs and five assemblymen set to cross over to PBM.

“So just wait for our inaugural annual general meeting in Kuala Lumpur on Oct 1. We will make an announcement on this,” PBM president-designate Zuraida Kamaruddin said.

However, she declined to give any names.

On another matter, she said the party plans to defend all the seats it is holding currently in the coming general election (GE15). PBM has four MPs now namely Zuraida (Ampang), Steven Choong (Tebrau), Larry Sng (Julau) and Mohamaddin Ketapi (Lahad Datu). It also has five state assemblymen.

“We have been going to states where we don’t have incumbents, and yet we are received well. We will defend all our state seats,” she added.

Zuraida said PBM was keenly awaiting a response over her party’s application to be part of Barisan Nasional. When asked what would happen if the coalition refuses to accept them, she said: “We will cross the bridge when we get there.”

The plantation industries and commodities minister, who moved from PKR to Bersatu following the Sheraton Move in February 2020, left the Muhyiddin Yassin-led party in May to join PBM. She said the party had “a unique offering” with its multiracial membership.

Zuraida said PBM’s membership has grown to over 40,000 members in its 190 divisions.

PBM was launched on Dec 21 last year following approval by the Registrar of Societies (RoS) to change the name and the constitution of the Sarawak Workers Party (SWP).