KUALA LUMPUR, May 20 — PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today explained his absence from a press conference chaired by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad on Monday involving Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders, saying that the event was not a PH media programme.
During his Facebook talk today, the Port Dickson MP said that from here on out, all PH programmes or press conferences would only be announced by the coalition’s secretariat.
He however, said that it was still the right of individual parties to have their own press conferences.
“On the press conference after the end of Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s royal address in Parliament. Why was I not present? Because that was not a PH press conference. In my PH meeting via Zoom before this, we decided that PH leaders as well as Bersatu (Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia) and Warisan (Parti Warisan Sabah) would prepare our joint stand on the issue of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government, and will sign (a joint statement).
“Therefore, we would not be having a PH press conference. However, this would not prevent DAP, Bersatu, Amanah (Parti Amanah Negara) or Keadilan (PKR) should they want to have their own press conference, or if MPs would like to share their views.
“After this, we will mention that all press conferences or PH programmes must be announced by the PH secretariat. For example, I cannot use the PH secretariat to do programmes for PKR. We have some rules which must be observed,” Anwar said.
On Monday, Anwar and other MPs from his party were noticeably absent from a joint press conference that saw leaders from PH and other component parties attending.
Apart from Dr Mahathir, the press conference was attended by Parti Warisan Sabah president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, as well as DAP secretary-general, Lim Guan Eng.
When asked about Anwar’s absence during the press conference Dr Mahathir replied: “He has signed the statement, but he is not able to attend.”
In the joint press statement also with Sabah party Upko, Anwar’s name came first in the list as PKR president and the Opposition Leader in Parliament.
The press conference was to address the short one-day Parliament sitting that ended right after the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s address.
Among others, Dr Mahathir expressed hope that MPs from both sides of the political divide will come to their senses and support him when he moves his motion of no-confidence against Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
