Anwar Ibrahim deftly skirted a question on Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian if he would still be retained in his cabinet.
“Let me be prime minister first,” the PKR president said.
He said “then the question will be answered”.
Baru, who is works minister and supports a faction that is opposed to Anwar in the party, was conspicuously absent at the Sarawak Pakatan Harapan Chinese New Year gathering in Kuching where Anwar was the guest-of-honour.
Rumour has it that businessman and close confidant of Anwar, Sng Chee Hua, is pushing for his son Larry to be in the federal cabinet.
Sarawak is currently represented by Baru and state PH chief Chong Chieng Jen in the cabinet.
Chong is deputy domestic trade and consumer affairs minister.
In his address earlier, Chong stated his support for Anwar as the next prime minister.
“Our main agenda is for Anwar to be the country’s next prime minister. This is why we have decided to invite Anwar to this event today to show him our support,” he said.
On the coming Sarawak election, Anwar said PH is “quite established” to face it.
“We are focused and will work together in the state election,” he added.