Anwar has majority, seeking an audience with the King, says Pakatan presidential council

PETALING JAYA: PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has the support of the majority of the 222 MPs in Dewan Rakyat, claims the Pakatan Harapan presidential council.

"The presidential council believes that Anwar has the highest number of nominations from the MPs based on the process carried out by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong recently," it said in a statement on Friday (Feb 28).

The presidential council said it believes that Anwar should be given the opportunity to have an audience with Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah to prove that he has the confidence of the majority of the MPs.

"The presidential council welcomes the statement of Comptroller of the Royal Household for the Istana Negara Datuk Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin and regards highly that the King will continue to find a solution in accordance with the Federal Constitution on the issue of the appointment of the new Prime Minister," it added.

The statement comes in the midst of the political upheaval over the impasse on the appointment of the next Prime Minister.

Interim Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was supposed to have passed the premiership to Anwar in accordance with an agreement by the Pakatan presidential council prior to the last general election.

However, upon the resignation of Dr Mahathir on Feb 24 and the exit of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia from the ruling Pakatan coalition, the government collapsed.

Bersatu, however, had in the last hour announced that it is unanimous in proposing its president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for the post of the eighth Prime Minister.