UALA LUMPUR, Feb 29 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s daughter Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir was the one who helped Pakatan Harapan (PH) reach out to him for fresh talks which ultimately resulted in him being the coalition’s new choice today for the prime minister post, a report said.
Acording to news portal The Malaysian Insight, Dr Mahathir had been maintaining his silence and had refused to talk to any politician, including his own party Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s (PPBM) youth wing chief Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman.
The portal said PH leaders had sought Marina’s aid for a brief meeting with Dr Mahathir, reporting that there was a “breakthrough” late last night when the interim prime minister and PPBM chairman “relented” to Marina’s request for him to meet the PH leaders.
“It took a few phone calls and text messages but finally Marina managed to get her father around to speaking to PH leaders,” an unnamed source was quoted saying by the portal.
The portal said the meeting between Dr Mahathir and PH resulted in a similar deal that was agreed on last Friday, again citing unnamed sources in saying that the new deal would see Dr Mahathir being able to hold and subsequently choose when to give up the prime minister post after Malaysia hosts the Apec summit in November and that the new government would have technocrats.
Also citing sources, the portal said there were “encouraging signs” regarding support from MPs in Sabah and Sarawak, while also noting that their support would have to be secured for Dr Mahathir to become the next prime minister.
This morning, Dr Mahathir announced that he had met with PH leaders and that he was confident he had the numbers to become the next prime minister with their endorsement.
PH’s presidential council in a separate statement said the coalition fully backed Dr Mahathir to be prime minister, changing its initial decision yesterday to back PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as candidate for the position.
Following PH’s new choice of Dr Mahathir, it was initially unclear if Dr Mahathir or his rival contender Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had garnered majority support from MPs for the prime minister post as there were still many MPs whose positions were not publicly known.
But the Istana Negara had around 4.30pm today announced that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong has determined in his judgment that Muhyiddin was likely to command the confidence of the majority of MPs to be the next prime minister, basing this on nominations received by the palace from independent MPs and the leaders of political parties with MPs.
The Istana Negara also said Muhyiddin will be sworn in as the nation’s eighth prime minister in a ceremony at 10.30am tomorrow at the palace.
