A group allied with Anwar has lashed out at Azmin for trying to derail the prime ministerial succession plan.
PKR president Anwar Ibrahim has dismissed his deputy Mohamed Azmin Ali’s backing for Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad to serve for a full term as a personal opinion.
Anwar maintained that the position of the prime minister is determined by the elected ruling coalition, contrary to Azmin’s claim that it is decided by the people every five years.
“That is a personal opinion. I have spoken about this. In any parliamentary democracy, it is the decision of the ruling party.
“Therefore, I leave it to the Pakatan Harapan council,” he said.
Anwar said Azmin’s comment on a “back-door government”, too, is merely a personal view.
Asked if Azmin brought up the issue during the coffee session they had last week, Anwar said: “Nope.”
Asked if he thought Azmin’s statement was appropriate, considering his position as the second most senior leader in PKR, the Port Dickson MP sidestepped the question.
“Never mind, we understand the background,” he said without elaborating.
Meanwhile, a group allied with Anwar has lashed out at Azmin for trying to derail the prime ministerial succession plan.
Pro98 Perak adviser Zulkifly Ibrahim said Azmin’s latest remarks on allowing Mahathir to serve his full term as prime minister proves there is a plot to stop Anwar from assuming the post as agreed by Pakatan Harapan (PH).
“Azmin’s remarks only gives credence to what PH and PKR have been saying, that there is a plot to stop the succession from Mahathir to Anwar, and to bring down the PH government,” Zulkifly said in a statement.
The group also urged Azmin to resign from his posts.
“Pro98 Perak sees Azmin’s remarks as going against what had been agreed in PH, and proves he is the mastermind of a plot against Anwar,” he added.
Earlier, DAP’s P Ramasamy has also slammed Azmin following the latter’s call to let Mahathir complete his term.
The Penang deputy chief minister II said questioning the plan for Mahathir to hand over power to Anwar was the “worst form of back door entry” to power.
“If Mahathir should be allowed to serve the full term of five years, then Azmin should explain whatever happened to the agreement in PH that Mahathir should hand over power to Anwar in a matter of two years,” he said in a statement today.
Under an agreement struck by PH before the 14th general election, Mahathir is supposed to hand over power to Anwar, his former protege, although no date was specified for this. However, a two-year time frame has been bandied about.
Ramasamy said 94-year-old Mahathir may be “fickle” about a date but the fact remained that he was appointed on an interim basis.
He said if Azmin felt that Anwar was not an appropriate candidate to succeed Mahathir, he should have the “honesty and decency” to say it openly.
“Azmin might have differences with Anwar but these should not influence him to negate the succession agreement,” he said, adding that Azmin must “get it in his head” that Mahathir was only an interim PM.
“If Anwar was not incarcerated during the time of the last general election, he would have been the prime minister, not Mahathir. Azmin must be careful not to undermine or sabotage Anwar’s ascension to power.”
Ramasamy said Azmin cannot pretend that there was no agreement stipulating Mahathir’s handover of power to Anwar.
“I hope that Azmin realises the serious implications arising from the non-compliance of the historic agreement hatched before the last election.
“Non-compliance to the plan will render the present government as illegitimate,” he said, adding that Azmin had “shot himself in the foot” by questioning the succession plan.
Yesterday, Azmin rubbished claims he is working with former Umno vice president Hishammuddin Hussein to form a “backdoor” government.
Reports alleged that Hishammuddin, who is the Member of Parliament for Sembrong, is leading the campaign (to form the new government).
Azmin called for a stop to conspiracy theories and urged everyone to focus their efforts on economic growth and give their full support to the prime minister to continue leading the country.
The Gombak MP was speaking to reporters at the Parliament lobby.
Earlier report: Oct 22, Azmin: Dr M Should Stay on as PM