PETALING JAYA, Nov 22 — Amid the ongoing uncertainty of a hung Parliament, Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) prime minister candidate Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is hunkering down at his office here with his coalition allies.
The PH chairman left his house in Sg Long, Kajang at 11am today and went to his office in Bukit Gasing here while journalists staked out Istana Negara and the Umno headquarters at Menara Dato Onn, as well as the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s house in Bukit Damansara. All these locations are in Kuala Lumpur.
PH party leaders started arriving at Anwar’s office here at noon. Among the early arrivals were DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu and PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli.
The police presence was also prominent, with one officer saying they were there to maintain public order.
PKR Youth chief Adam Adli Abdul Halim and Malaysia United Democratic Alliance (Muda) president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman arrived at 2.30pm and 2.55pm respectively.
“Doakanlah,” Syed Saddiq told reporters briefly when asked if it looked like Anwar would be the 10th prime minister. The Malay word translates to “Pray for it”.
Wong Chen, who was reelected as Subang MP, arrived at 3.15pm and told the press that he was called there for a 4pm meeting.
However, he claimed he did not know what would be discussed.
Malaysia has entered day three of a political stalemate after its 15th general election that was supposed to see a stable coalition take federal power.
No coalition won a simple majority of 112 out of 222 seats in the Dewan Rakyat required to form the government – the first time in Malaysia’s history.
PH currently has 82 seats while PN has 73.
The Barisan Nasional coalition, which had pushed for national polls to be held this year ahead of the GE14 expiry next year, only garnered 30 seats.
Earlier today, several senior BN leaders said they will not back either a PH-led or PN-dominated federal government, preferring to be in the Opposition.
Two other coalitions, the Gabungan Parti Sarawak and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah, have said they are in favour of an alliance federal government comprising their Borneo bloc as well as PN and BN.
Another Sabah-based party, Warisan threw its back behind PH.
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah spoke to reporters outside Istana Negara after lunch today.
He asked everyone to remain calm and rational and to let him make the decision that will allow the nation to move on.
