DAP to nominate Dr M to continue as prime minister of Malaysia.
PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today claimed Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was disappointed by the current political turmoil.
When met outside the PKR headquarters earlier, Anwar said, during his meeting with the 94-year-old, Dr Mahathir had mentioned that he was not involved in the treacherous plot.
“He reiterated what he said to me earlier, that he played no part in it.
“He clarified that in no way will he ever work with those associated with the past regime,” Anwar told reporters.
“I have begged him for PKR, Pakatan Harapan that this treason can be addressed together, but he has a different opinion.
“He is of the opinion that he should not be treated as such. His name (Dr Mahathir) has been used by those in my party and outside (the party),” he said.
“He repeated what he had said that he had no role in it (the formation of the unity government),” he added, urging all quarters to respect the constitutional process by letting Dr Mahathir and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong resolve the on-going issues.
When asked to comment if he was still on course to be Malaysia’s eighth prime minister, Anwar said: “We shall see.”
Penang Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P Ramasamy is confident Dr Mahathir was not the mastermind behind the move to form a new government without DAP, Amanah and PKR.
He stressed Dr Mahathir would unlikely relinquish his position as the prime minister if he was the prime mover of the plot which saw the departure of Bersatu and several PKR members of parliament from Pakatan Harapan (PH).
“I doubt Tun Mahathir is the mastermind. (If not) why did he resign,” he told reporters outside Anwar’s residence.
Ramasamy also explained he came to Anwar’s residence to show his solidarity to the PKR president, but Anwar was not at home.
Aside from Dr Mahathir’s resignation as prime minister, Bersatu also quit the PH coalition while 11 MPs left PKR to become independent.
The departures meant PH is now a minority government.
Meanwhile, the DAP leadership today said it would call for Dr Mahathir to return to the top post at Pakatan Harapan’s Presidential Council emergency meeting tonight.
“I had seen Tun (Mahathir) this morning in his residence and was surprised when he informed me of his intention to resign,” DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng told the media today at the end of a meeting at the party’s headquarters.
He said Mahathir disagreed with plans to work with Umno “when we worked so hard to reject Umno successfully in the 2018 general election”.
“DAP commends Tun’s principled position of refusing to work with an Umno whose leaders are involved in corrupt practices and misrule causing Malaysia to be labelled as a global kleptocracy at its worst,” said Lim.
He said Mahathir’s decision to resign was based on principles.
“This is the first time that a Malaysian prime minister is prepared to resign on principle to uphold integrity and combat corruption,” he added.
Lim asserted that Dr Mahathir resigned as both the PM and Bersatu chairman to protest the attempt to form a new government with Opposition parties.
Lim said Dr Mahathir did not wish to work with Umno, unlike sections of Bersatu and a rogue faction in PKR.
“This consistency and principled stand in rejecting a corrupt Umno should be supported by all Malaysians.
“DAP intends to propose to the PH presidential council at its emergency meeting tonight, to continue to nominate Tun Dr Mahathir to continue as prime minister of Malaysia, to fulfil and deliver the promises in the PH general-election manifesto,” he said.
Lim named Mohamad Azmin Ali as the leader of a group of “PKR renegades” who are part of the plot.
“DAP condemns the treachery of some PH leaders and MPs who are attempting to form a backdoor government to replace the existing democratically elected PH government with a new coalition, Perikatan Nasional, comprising Umno, PAS, MCA and MIC, and certain Bersatu leaders and PKR renegades led by Azmin Ali.
“Such political manipulation has affected the government’s efforts to address the economic and livelihood (concerns) of Malaysian businesses and the ordinary people,” he said.
Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) also pledged its full support for Dr Mahathir as the prime minister.
In a statement, the party’s president Mohamad Sabu said Amanah pledged its full support for Dr Mahathir to continue leading PH.
“May Allah SWT grant Tun the strength to face this political turmoil.
“We stand firm with PH and Tun for a better Malaysia,” Mohamad said.
A third party to support Dr Mahathir for the prime minister’s post is Parti Warisan Sabah.
Warisan president and Sabah Chief Minister Mohd Shafie Apdal said he still supported Dr Mahathir for the post in the interest of Sabahans.
Warisan has nine MPs in the Dewan Rakyat. It is not formally part of the Pakatan Harapan coalition but had been in cooperation with the PH federal government.
DAP has 42 seats and Amanah, 11.
PKR has yet to announce its stand on endorsing Dr Mahathir for prime minister. PKR now has 39 MPs after two Azmin Ali and Zuraida Kamaruddin were sacked today and nine followed by quitting.
Warisan’s endorsement of Dr Mahathir, however, puts to question claims by PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan that PAS and Barisan Nasional have enough numbers to form the government.
PAS and BN MPs are having an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong at the Istana Negara today.
Dr Mahathir has just left the Istana after an audience with the King.