Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohamed Hanipa Maidin proposed today that Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) lawmaker Nancy Shukri should invite Najib Abdul Razak to contest in the upcoming Sarawak state election.

This follows Nancy saying yesterday that ordinary Sarawakians "want Najib back" because of the attention he paid to the rural regions of the state when he was the prime minister.

Hanipa, who is also a central committee member of Amanah, did not name Nancy, but questioned if she was referring to herself when making the statement.

"To me, I believe the majority of people in Peninsular Malaysia want to see 'Bossku' in Sungai Buloh or Kajang (prisons) with his beloved wife and associates," he said, referring to Najib's self-professed nickname," he said in a Facebook post.

"If she is 'addicted' to Bossku being the prime minister again, perhaps Bossku should be invited to contest in any of the state seats in the Sarawak election and if he wins, he can become the new Sarawak chief minister.

"If he can't be prime minister, at least chief minister would still be okay?"

Najib led BN to its first defeat since independence in the last general election amid allegations of grand corruption.

He is now facing 42 charges of money laundering, criminal breach of trust and abuse of power.

Following BN's defeat, the Sarawak chapter of the coalition broke away to form GPS.

The Sarawak election is due in 2021.