Anwar and Dr M say teaming up again to bring Pakatan back to power.
Voters should reclaim their mandate that has been seized by the Muhyiddin Yassin government, said PKR president Anwar Ibrahim and Bersatu chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
In a joint statement, they said the current government was not chosen by voters in the last general election and effort should be made to return the mandate to the rightful party.
“Two years ago, the people of all religions and races helped PH through donations and contributions, their voices and suggestions, hope and spirit, to see change for the better in our beloved country.
“Two years ago, we did not give up in championing the people’s voice and it remains the same today and it still burns in every youth who dreams of reform.
“The time has come for us to rise again and return the people’s mandate to the rightful party,” they said in the joint statement today marking the second anniversary of the election that saw PH sweep to power.
The duo asserted today that they have again resolved their differences and were joining forces to finish the job started when Pakatan Harapan won the 14th general election.
Reaffirming their rejection of the Perikatan Nasional administration that came to power unelected, the PKR president and Bersatu chairman said much of the reforms they introduced were being rapidly dismantled.
The two said they were not ready to sacrifice ethical and moral concerns to support the new government that is now headed by Muhyiddin.
“This government is premised on greed for positions only. Not one of its leaders have promised to serve the public.
“We do not wish to betray the trust of millions of voters who spent hours waiting for their turn vote and spent money to return to vote or those who took leave to vote in the last elections.
“The hard work of building a democracy was just beginning with Dewan Rakyat given a new breath of life and the reform of institutions and government starting afresh.
“The voices of voters were being heard with states being given equal treatment despite political differences,” they said.
They said that one of the best gifts in the past two years was the freedom of expression.
“When people spoke up, their representative responded, and nobody was stopped from speaking up on the basis of law.
“But these reforms, which were started by PH, have since stopped after the voters’ mandate was betrayed, and the PH government was overturned in February.
“The current government is prepared to do anything to consolidate its power by dishing out positions,” said Anwar and Dr Mahathir.
The two also said May 9, 2018, should not be a date remembered as the reunification of Dr Mahathir and Anwar, but one when people had come together to reject the previous Barisan Nasional government.
“They set aside their personal differences to end a kleptocratic government.
“So, let us not forget May 9, 2018, when a kleptocratic government fell. It was the day of victory for Malaysians and a day a new Malaysia was born,” said Anwar and Dr Mahathir.
Dr Mahathir signed off the statement as Bersatu chairman, together with opposition leader Anwar.
PH secured an unlikely general election victory exactly two years ago today.
Dr Mahathir went on to become the seventh prime minister while Anwar secured a royal pardon and eventually won his way back into Parliament.
Anwar, who was sacked by Dr Mahathir as his deputy in 1998, was presented as the latter’s immediate successor as the prime minister, but their mistrust of each other allowed Dr Mahathir to be baited into believing that Anwar was manoeuvring against him in February.
A political crisis ensued when Dr Mahathir resigned as the prime minister after saying he would not work with Umno en bloc, which his party wanted to do after abandoning PH.
This allowed Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to secure his appointment as the prime minister as the head of Perikatan Nasional government.