‘Anwar can only get 96 MPs max’

PETALING JAYA: PKR is sticking to its stand of only having Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the Opposition’s choice for prime minister despite coalition partners DAP and Parti Amanah Negara pointing out that Anwar does not have sufficient support to be the choice for Pakatan Harapan Plus.

This impasse came about because PKR president Anwar managed to only get a maximum of 96 MPs to support him to be the PM and failed to get the backing of Gagasan Parti Sarawak (GSP), claimed DAP and Amanah in a statement yesterday.

The statement said it was “surprising” that PKR insisted on Anwar as the next PM as the Pakatan presidential council meeting had agreed that if Anwar failed to garner the majority, it would support former Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as the ninth premier.

Yesterday, an emergency PKR meeting said the party would only support Anwar as the next prime minister and rejected the return of Dr Mahathir for a third time as the PM.

The statement issued by DAP organising secretary Anthony Loke and Amanah information chief Khalid Samad stated that Anwar became the second option as the choice for prime minister because he could not garner the majority needed despite being given the time to do so.

“We respect the right of PKR to decide but we are surprised with its stand as this option (Anwar for PM) was accepted as the second option in the Pakatan presidential council meeting chaired by Anwar at the PKR headquarters on May 30, ” said the statement.

Further, it said the meeting decided that if Anwar was proposed as the ninth PM and he failed to get enough support to enable a government takeover, then the combo of Dr Mahathir as the PM and Anwar as the deputy PM would then be looked at.

“After exhausting all efforts, we found that the option choosing Anwar as the prime ministerial candidate garnered the support of 96 MPs – 91 from Pakatan (38 PKR, 42 DAP and 11 Amanah) and five more who include Dr Mahathir and the four MPs from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu).

“The last bid by Anwar to get the support of GPS also failed and the agreed period has ended as it did not garner enough support, ” added the statement.

The statement was issued in response to PKR supreme council and PKR MPs saying that Anwar was their choice of candidate for the ninth PM should Pakatan return to power in the next general election.

PKR also rejected the return of Dr Mahathir as PM for the third time.

“The problem arose as Dr Mahathir had stated that he wants to return as the prime minister for the third time.

“PKR has decided not to support the proposal of Dr Mahathir as the (ninth) prime minister and is sticking to the Pakatan concensus of proposing Anwar as the PM, ” said the statement issued by PKR supreme council and its MPs.

Just hours before PKR announced its decision, Dr Mahathir was interviewed by a portal and he said that should he be made the PM again, he would not renege on his promise to hand over the baton to Anwar after the agreed period of time.

“When the time comes, I will keep my word. You can check my conduct when I was prime minister and even before that.

“I have never reneged on my promise, ” he said, referring to him keeping his promise to step down in 2002, allowing a smooth power transition after 22 years at the helm.

Since the ousting of Pakatan from the Federal Government after the resignation of Dr Mahathir as the seventh PM on Feb 24, the issue of who will be the ninth prime minister should the Opposition win the next general election has been a bone of contention among its leaders. Pakatan, which comprises of PKR, DAP and Amanah, has said that its candidate remained Anwar, but Pakatan Harapan Plus had proposed that Dr Mahathir be allowed to be the PM again for the third time for a set tenure before Anwar takes over.

Pakatan Harapan Plus refers to the loose coalition comprising Pakatan parties (PKR, DAP and Amanah), Warisan and MPs led by Dr Mahathir.