“Despite the fact of the increase in number (of elected representatives in PBB), we are not greedy. We want to share power with our component parties,” the Borneo Post quoted him as saying after he launched the state-level Teacher’s Day at Unimas here yesterday.

Abang Johari, who is deputy chief minister, was commenting on the applications by three partyless BN elected representatives Dr Jerip Susil (Mambong), Ranum Mina (Opar) and Dr Johnical Rayong Ngipa (Engkilili) to join the PBB on Wednesday.

The Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) won 40 of the 82 seats in the May 7 state election. If the three are taken in, it will give the PBB a simple majority in the State Legislative Assembly. Six others have also applied to join the PBB. If all are accepted, it will have 49 elected representatives.

Abang Johari said the membership of the trio, who were previously with United People’s Party, would be decided by the party’s supreme council.

“They have applied to us, but we will give them time. If they want to apply to any other component parties, they are free to do so. The thing is it’s up to them, it’s their choice. But since they have submitted their application, we will see during our supreme council meeting,” he was quoted as saying.

PBB executive secretary Awang Bujang Awang Antek on Wednesday said the outcome of the trio’s application to join the party might be known when the party’s supreme council meets on June 5.

Meanwhile, the Borneo Post said, Abang Johari refused to be dragged into talks of him becoming the next chief minister.

When he was asked about a statement by PBB Senior Vice-President Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan that the latter hoped to see him become the next chief minister, Abang Johari responded: “It’s premature, what we do now is focus on our job and support the Chief Minister (Adenan Satem).”