A picture of Parti KDM president Datuk Peter Anthony (left) and: Bersatu's Bandau assemblyman Datuk Wetrom Bahanda seen in this viral picture shared on the social media.
KOTA KINABALU: Bandau assemblyman Datuk Wetrom Bahanda seems to "shopping" for a party to field him as a GE15 candidate in the Kota Marudu parliamentary seat held by Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) president Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili.
Overnight, pictures of Wetrom meeting with Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (KDM) president Datuk Peter Anthony raised fresh speculation he was now looking at that party.
ALSO READ: Will Wetrom Bahandar leave Bersatu for Warisan?
A picture of Wetrom filling up a KDM membership form was also circulated on social media while he has yet to declare that he has officially left Sabah Bersatu, which is a member of the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition.
Wetrom, an assistant minister in Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor's GRS-Barisan Nasional government, triggered speculation he was leaving Bersatu after a video clip went viral over the weekend.
The video shows him telling supporters he is leaving Bersatu for Parti Warisan to contest the Kota Marudu seat.
ALSO READ: Three Sabah assemblymen dismiss talk of quitting GRS
However, Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, who met him on Sunday (Oct 16), told Wetrom he could join the party but did not promise he would be its Kota Marudu candidate.
The latest pictures to emerge came out on Tuesday (Oct 18) night after he apparently met Peter, sources said.
A KDM source said Wetrom had applied to join but they were not sure if he was keeping the Warisan option open.
ALSO READ: GE15: GRS has more to gain with Wetrom leaving, says analyst
Hajiji had told Wetrom that the Kota Marudu seat had been allocated to PBS.
Wetrom reportedly also made overtures to join Barisan Nasional's Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) but realised he could not stand in Kota Marudu, which was a GRS seat.
Peter, a former Warisan vice president, is still waiting for GRS to accept KDM as a member but the party remains friendly to the coalition.
Wetrom has yet to make an official announcement on his position and is not taking calls from the media.
Even Hajiji said in jest on Wednesday (Oct 19) that he did not know if Wetrom had "jumped or not".
