Anwar: Dr M's comment on choice of MB is in reference to the Constitution

KUALA LUMPUR: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was referring to the Federal Constitution when he said the party that wins an election gets to determine the mentri besar, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

"The Constitution is clear. The PM was referring to the Constitution. But of course, you get the royal consent. That is normal.

"I think the PM was purely referring to the legal interpretation of the Constitution," said the PKR president.

Earlier on Wednesday (April 10), Dr Mahathir told reporters that appointing the mentri besar or an acting mentri besar is a political decision.

"The Sultan has got no role. The role is for the party that won the election to determine who leads," the 93-year-old Prime Minister said to reporters after opening the 15th Kuala Lumpur Islamic Finance Forum here.

Datuk Osman Sapian officially resigned as the Johor mentri besar on Monday (April 8).

Anwar also said PKR would not put forward any candidates to replace Osman as the next mentri besar should come from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia.

"We will leave it to the PM and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to decide. That is our stand," he said.

Anwar also refused to comment on the ongoing feud between Dr Mahathir and Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim.

"Right now, we focus on the issue of the economy. I just finished the campaign (for the Rantau by-election) – and it wasn't easy to read the Felda report," he said.

On Tuesday (April 9), Dr Mahathir said that Tunku Ismail was free to criticise the government as long as no laws were broken, adding that the Johor Crown Prince was not above the law.

Unfazed, Tunku Ismail tweeted shortly after that he was ready to face any criminal action if he had indeed made any seditious remarks.