KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 27 — Protem president of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is seeking to forge a grand coalition of Opposition parties before the year is out.
The former deputy prime minister said Opposition leaders are aware they need to work together to avoid whittling voter support in their battle against the undefeated Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition at the next election due by 2018.
“I would like to see this pact happen as soon as possible, before the year’s end,” he told international news wire Reuters today.
PPBM is the newest political party to be formed and comprises mostly of former Umno leaders.
Its protem vice-president Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir recently called for the Opposition parties to consolidate under a single banner to avoid splitting the voter base, and mooted “Barisan Rakyat” as their new call sign.
Several Pakatan Harapan MPs had since shown support of the suggestion as an idea worth exploring.
PPBM protem chairman is retired prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad who was reported earlier today to have named Muhyiddin as the next prime minister if the Opposition wins the general elections.
However, the suggestion has not gained currency with the DAP; its national publicity secretary Tony Pua told news portal Malaysiakini earlier today that the Pakatan Harapan pact’s choice for prime minister remains de facto PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim even though he is currently serving a five-year jail sentence and isn’t scheduled for release till 2020.
