Amanah urges PKR to state stand, says Anwar has always been the choice for PM candidate

PETALING JAYA: As anticipation brews over Pakatan Harapan's choice for premiership, Parti Amanah Negara has joined in calls in urging PKR to state its stand over the matter.

Parti Amanah Negara communications director Khalid Abdul Samad acknowledged that PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has always been Pakatan's choice to be prime minister.

He said that the proposal of having Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as Pakatan's prime minister with Anwar serving as his deputy, was one that was mooted by Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal during a “Pakatan Plus” meeting.

"Pakatan Plus" is an informal term which refers to the Pakatan coalition after Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia and several PKR leaders left the coalition.

No decision, Khalid noted, was made by Pakatan leaders during that meeting.

"There was no serious discussion on the proposal because we wanted to try to get the necessary numbers in support of Anwar as prime minister.

"A deadline was set and it has passed. The best we could achieve is 107 including Dr Mahathir and Shafie's group.

"So now, we wish for PKR to state their stand on the proposal by Shafie as both DAP and Amanah are open to this option if it is able to get the numbers, ” he told The Star Thursday (June 18).

Khalid, who's also a member of the Pakatan presidential council, noted that Shafie's proposal has yet to be endorsed by Pakatan as its official decision.

"Please understand that Shafie's proposal has yet to be deliberated over. We are willing to consider it. We have yet to endorse or accept it.”

He said both Amanah and DAP are of the opinion that Shafie's proposal is workable and it "requires a detailed discussion on its decision-making mechanisms before it is finalised".

"However, we can only start to discuss it if PKR is agreeable to accept it as a possible option," he added.

Asked if there are any other options if PKR disagrees with Shafie's proposal, Khalid said he would wait for PKR's response first before deciding on another option.

Meanwhile, Khalid said those who are critical against Shafie's proposal have a right to their opinion, but they should get their facts right.

He assured that Pakatan is intact in its support of Anwar as prime minister.

"But, we do not have the numbers and we need to consider all options in order to stop Perikatan Nasional," he added.

Earlier Thursday, Pakatan secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution released a statement outlining what transpired in a recent series of meetings featuring top leaders, saying that Pakatan's choice has always been Anwar.

It came following a statement by DAP organising secretary Anthony Loke, who said on Wednesday (June 17) that Pakatan leaders are mostly in support of Dr Mahathir taking the helm of premiership again with Anwar serving as his deputy.

Observers are closely watching developments surrounding Pakatan's choice for premiership, as it is a sensitive and thorny issue that threatens to undermine the coalition's hopes of returning to Putrajaya again.