PKR vice-president Tian Chua has urged Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob to form a cross-party cabinet which involves Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders as a way of ensuring government stability.
He said the Bera member of parliament, who has just been named as the new prime minister, should draw lessons from the experiences of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) administration, whose downfall was triggered by internal factors.
He said the proposal was deemed as the best solution to ensure the stability of the new government, at least until the 15th General Election (GE15).
“It is also in line with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s decree for the government to continue its efforts to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, along with the political crisis to end immediately.
“Imagine what would happen if the ‘court cluster’ or any leader in PN is dissatisfied and withdraws support for Ismail Sabri…will the government collapse again?” he asked.
Tian Chua said it was crucial to have PH along while forming a new government.
“By doing this, certain groups will not be able to threaten the stability of the existing government, at least until GE15, which is to be held later.
“Such a practice had been done by Barisan Nasional (BN) before, when they invited Gerakan and several other opposition parties to join their coalition to strengthen its position in the Dewan Rakyat,” he told Berita Harian.
Tian Chua was commenting on the hopes expressed by the King that the appointment of the new prime minister would bring an end to the political crisis. The King had also called on MPs to set aside their political agenda, be united and work together to address the Covid-19 threat in the interest of the people and the country.
Tian Chua said PH would engage the same (cross-party cabinet) approach had Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim been appointed as prime minister, and that it was something PH had long advocated.
“We are aware that if PH gets a majority of 111 or 113, it is still unstable until the end of the term, especially if there are deaths or other factors.
“Therefore, it is better to take preventive measures so that the government is stable until GE15.
“To ensure stability, it must be inclusive. We want to do this not because we have lost, but because of the existing majority and the possibility of the same event happening again, as PN only has a majority of 114,” he said.
Asked whether PH was willing to work with Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali’s camp should the proposal be implemented, Tian Chua said it should not be a problem as what’s important right now was addressing the pandemic threat.
“The King had called on cooperation for the sake of the people. In politics, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Anwar, Azmin, Umno, and Pas have been ‘at war’ for so long but in the end can still work together.
“We have to understand that politics is evolution and is always changing. The issue right now is not a personal factor.
“Therefore, I don’t think this is an obstacle for us to work together,” he said. – NST