Pakatan wins it, public holiday for Thursday-Friday

PETALING JAYA: Pakatan Harapan has declared it has won enough seats to form the federal government with a simple majority, ending the more than 60-year rule by Barisan Nasional.

Its chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the coalition had been contacted by the Palace, which said it would recognise the results pending an official announcement from the Election Commission (EC).

He said that Thursday and Friday (May 10 and 11) would be declared public holidays, to be announced by the Chief-Secretary to the Government.

"We can't declare public holidays because we are not the government yet," he said at a press conference at 2.45am on Thursday (May 10).

Dr Mahathir said that he would be officially sworn in as Prime Minister by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Thursday.

"The palace has contacted us, because they heard that we have achieved a majority.

"After the Prime Minister is sworn in and appointed Prime Minister officially, he may appoint the Deputy Prime Minister and other ministers.

Dr Mahathir also pledged that Pakatan would work towards the pardoning of PKR de-facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

"Once he is pardoned, he will be eligible to stand as Prime Minister. But, he still must stand for elections to be an MP.

"Because in our country, a person has to be an MP or senator first."

The 92-year-old also said that he wanted a peaceful transition of government.

When asked whether action will be taken against Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak over a series of alleged scandals, Dr Mahathir said that Pakatan merely wanted to restore the rule of law.

"We are not seeking revenge. What we want to do is to restore the rule of law.

"If anybody breaks the law, which includes journalists, they will be brought before the court," he said.