KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 23 — Pakatan Harapan (PH) parties will likely fight among themselves over who becomes prime minister should they win the 14th general elections (GE14), Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today.
In a blog posting, Najib predicted that PH chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad will unlikely relinquish the prime minister post to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim because the former does not consider “other leaders” suitable for the job.
“There are two scenarios which may happen. The first, Mahathir will not relinquish the post to Anwar because it is common knowledge that Mahathir considers all other leaders not suitable (for the job).
“This is the most critical level of nepotism practiced by them (Harapan). It is certain the people would rebel against (such) a leadership structure...,” the Prime Minister explained.
Based on Najib’s prediction, PH would be squabbling over the prime minister’s post for two to three years before its leaders start serving the people, if the Opposition coalition wins GE14.
PH has named Dr Mahathir as its prime minister candidate and Anwar’s wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who is also PKR president, as its candidate for deputy prime minister.
PH parties have stated that Dr Mahathir would only be an interim prime minister for an undetermined length until Anwar is released from prison and is allowed to stand for election again.
Should Dr Mahathir hand over power to Anwar, Najib said that the country would face the dire situation of having a husband-and-wife team leading the country as prime minister and deputy prime minister.
Najib added that Malaysians would be better off voting for BN as the ruling coalition does not have any leadership tussles.
“We will start serving the people immediately after the election because we have a leadership which is strong and established.”
In 1998, Dr Mahathir had sacked Anwar on moral grounds while the latter accused the former premier of fabricating a sodomy charge against him.
Anwar, 70, is currently serving a five-year prison sentence for a sodomy conviction, which he claims was also fabricated, and is expected to be released in early June.
