Muhyiddin, who said there are two vacancies in the council, said he has discussed the matter with other Bersatu leaders.

“(The seat is available) if he (Khairy) wants it. We’re not baiting him as some have suggested,” he told a press conference after an event in Kuala Lumpur today.

“We know he can contribute. I leave it to him to decide.”

A former Umno Youth chief, Khairy was among those who were expelled or suspended from Umno for breaching party discipline after last year’s general election.

Khairy had said while he was still with Umno he had rejected Perikatan Nasional’s offer to defect.

In February, the former health minister said he had received several offers to contest in the coming Selangor elections, with one party even including the menteri besar’s post in its pitch.

Although he declined to reveal which party made the offer, a source in the know told FMT it was PN.

Today, Muhyiddin said while Khairy has not applied to join Bersatu, he had previously extended an offer of membership to him.

“That offer still stands. I asked him about it again when he attended my Hari Raya open house the other day, but he said he hasn’t made a decision yet,” he said.

“We don’t want to rush him, but we hope he joins us and helps us strengthen the party.”

He also said Khairy has not made any demands as a condition for joining Bersatu.

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