Former communications and multimedia minister Salleh Said Keruak has applied to join PKR, according to the party.

PKR communications director Fahmi Fadzil today said the party had received an online membership application for him.

"However, PKR's Political Bureau will discuss and consider this in its next meeting," he said in a brief statement.

PKR's political bureau usually meets fortnightly but Fahmi said this could change once Parliament starts sitting next week.

While Fahmi said Salleh's application is to be discussed, a check with PKR's membership roll online shows that Salleh's application has been marked as "Lulus" (approved).

The Malaysian Insight earlier reported that Salleh had secretly joined PKR's Kota Belud division without the knowledge of Sabah party leaders.

Salleh was a staunch defender of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak during the 1MDB scandal.

However, he and other Sabah Umno leaders quit the party last December.

While most of the Sabah Umno defectors have joined Bersatu, Salleh and former Dewan Rakyat speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia have not.

They both have formed an NGO called the United Sabah Bajau Organisation (Usbo) which last month hosted a Malaysia Day event which was attended by PKR president Anwar Ibrahim.

During that event, both Salleh and Pandikar praised Anwar but denied the event had anything to do with them joining PKR.