KUALA LUMPUR, June 17 — PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said Pakatan Harapan (PH) has decided who its next candidate for prime minister is, but it will need to refer to Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) and the leaders under Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s Bersatu bloc before a final decision is reached.
“Yesterday, through PH chief secretary Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, we released a statement saying we have yet to decide our leadership status.
“PH as a body has made its decision but we need to refer this to our friends in Warisan and those under the leadership of Dr Mahathir,” Anwar said during a Facebook Live session today.
“The main thing I want to insist here is we must prioritise having better governance, as experience has shown it is not easy to get the people’s support.”
Malay Mail previously reported sources as saying Pakatan Plus — the moniker of the alliance between PH, Parti Warisan Sabah and Dr Mahathir’s faction in Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia — had proposed Anwar as the deputy prime minister under Dr Mahathir, together with another deputy in Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.
It is believed that the proposal had two conditions: that Dr Mahathir would only be prime minister for six months, and that Anwar must command the support of Sabah and Sarawak.
To date, there have been several conflicting reports stating that PH has either agreed on Dr Mahathir or has rejected the proposal entirely in favour of Anwar.
It is believed that talk of snap polls has intensified within PN, which is also facing internal squabbles, especially between former rivals Umno and its splinter Bersatu, and has yet to decide if it will still back Muhyiddin as prime minister should a general election be called.
“As such, I would like to apologise for the delay in making this announcement.
“But let’s not rush into this decision as we must prioritise the people’s needs. We must ensure whatever decision we make will be beneficial for the economy, encourage foreign investment and fosters proper governance,” he added.
