Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s endorsement of Parti Warisan Sabah president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal as Pakatan Harapan Plus’ prime ministerial candidate has elicited a gamut of responses from allies.
While official statements from the parties themselves have been largely restrained, this had not stopped leaders from voicing their disagreement with the move, which is widely seen as a way to prevent PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim from being its candidate.
PKR parliamentary chief whip Datuk Johari Abdul, in a Facebook Live session on Saturday, said the party would not budge from its stand on Anwar as the prime ministerial candidate should PH Plus return to power.
He also urged Dr Mahathir to make way for Anwar if the former was sincere about handing over the nation’s leadership to him.
“To me, PKR has made its decision. It’s either Anwar as the prime minister or we go for the (next) general election.
“After all, (the next GE was supposed to be called) within another 2½ years. Hence, I do not see it as a problem.
“Personally for me, if Dr Mahathir really wants to see the nation progress and put an end to this political crisis, he should just leave it to Anwar.
“Why the need to pusing-pusing (beat around the bush)? And now, he wants to lend his support to Shafie,” said the Kedah PH Plus chairman.
Sabah PKR Youth leader Razeef Rakimin said while he was proud that a Sabahan had been nominated, he cautioned against accepting the proposal wholesale.
“We must take into careful consideration the present political scene, who made the endorsement and the reason behind it.
“And the one who had made the endorsement is an expert in rule and divide,” said Razeef during a Facebook live session.
PKR secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail in a statement yesterday said the party remained open to discussion, but the decision must be made by the PH presidential council.
“The PKR central leadership council believes that cooperation among all parties must be intensified. At the same time, we remind all quarters to be careful and avoid from falling into a trap orchestrated (by certain quarters) to create tension in PH, which had happened in PKR previously,” said Saifuddin.
Amanah communication director Khalid Samad told the New Straits Times that the party would convene a meeting tomorrow to discuss the issue.
DAP, meanwhile, has largely remained silent.
However, it hasn’t stopped Datuk Teng Chang Kim, its Bandar Baru Klang assemblyman, from expressing dissatisfaction.
“Don’t shove down my throat to accept a mediocre and born-with-a-silver-spoon-in-the-mouth politician to be a national leader,” he wrote on Facebook and Twitter.
The post was accompanied by a picture of a crying boy. Although he did not identify any leader, it was believed that he was taking a swipe at Dr Mahathir and his son Datuk Seri Mukhriz. – NST