Pakatan secretariat wants state leadership to boost communication machinery

PUTRAJAYA, Feb 20 ― The national-level Pakatan Harapan (PH) Secretariat will meet with the state PH leadership tomorrow to discuss ways to strengthen its communication machinery for the coalition to remain on top of the situation in handling any issue.

PKR secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, who is also Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister, said the meeting would be held about three hours before the PH Presidential Council meets.

“Before PH became the government, one of our strengths was (the ability) to quickly get on top of things and explain to the people regarding any particular matter.

“So, we felt that after more than 20 months of being the government, we want this aspect to be conducted in a more organised manner by asking state PH leaders to crank up their work,” he told reporters after attending his ministry’s 2019 excellent service award ceremony here today.

He said the PH Secretariat Council met yesterday and decided on holding tomorrow’s meeting. The PH Secretariat Council comprises PH secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah and the secretaries-general of PH component parties.

He said tomorrow’s meeting would also discuss the need for more regular state-level meetings, bearing in mind that the PH Presidential Council meets monthly and the PH Secretariat, twice a month.

When asked if a “pre-council” meeting would be held ahead of tomorrow’s Presidential Council meeting, Saifuddin Nasution said: “Not that I'm aware of.”

A news portal had reported that the top six leaders of PH would meet among themselves first before attending the Presidential Council meeting.

The six leaders are PH chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and PH president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

Asked if PKR was going to push for a definite date for Dr Mahathir to step down from the prime minister’s post, Saifuddin Nasution said: “Not that I'm aware of. We do not know what is going to happen in the PH (Presidential) Council (meeting).”

He said any stand of PKR would have to be discussed at the Political Bureau or Central Leadership Council and be known to its key leaders.

Asked on Otai Reformasi’s push for the power transition from Dr Mahathir to Anwar, he said: “They are not part of the PKR structure. So, their stand is not binding on us.” ― Bernama