Dr M: Shafie as PM, Anwar and Mukhriz as DPMs

PETALING JAYA Pakatan Harapan Plus has agreed to a proposal to have Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal as the ninth Prime Minister, flanked by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir as the deputy prime ministers, says Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

He said that DAP secretary general Lim Guan Eng and Parti Amanah Nasional president Mohamad Sabu agreed to this proposal of Parti Warisan Negara chief Shafie replacing Dr Mahathir as the running candidate for the ninth prime minister in an informal meeting on June 25.

In a live Facebook video, Dr Mahathir said that the informal meeting was held at the Sabah Guest House in Kuala Lumpur last Thursday.

"The informal talks were attended by Shafie, Mohamad Sabu, Lim Guan Eng and (DAP's Cheras MP) Tan Kok Wai, Mukhriz, (former Bersatu secretary-general) Datuk Marzuki Yahya and a few others.

"We discussed the current happenings in the country and the issue of returning the mandate of the people which have been wrestled by (Prime Minister) Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and his followers.

"In the discussion, I was open to all proposals, even if it is not to nominate me as the next Prime Minister.

"It was suggested that Shafie becomes the candidate for the next PM.

"We then decided in a consensus that Shafie be named as the next PM. I fully support this.

"We also agreed to propose Anwar as the future Deputy Prime Minister I and Mukhriz as the second Deputy Prime Minister," said Dr Mahathir in the video.

"There must be some who have forgotten that he was one of the first to fight against the kleptocracy and a victim of Najib.

"He was ousted from his posts as minister and Umno vice-president because he could not accept the corrupt practices and the theft of the people's money by Najib's government.

"He was then with Muhyiddin. Now Muhyiddin has left the struggle and joined the kleptocrats who once got rid of him," said Dr Mahathir.

He also stated that he believed Shafie's nomination would further strengthen the relationship between the Peninsula and East Malaysia.

Dr Mahathir ended the session by stating that he will moot a vote of no confidence against the government of Muhyiddin at the next parliament session on July 13.

This came after a video clip of him urging Bersatu members in a closed door session to support Shafie as the next Prime Minister went viral.

Dr Mahathir had a fallout with Muhyiddin when the latter became the Prime Minister on March 1, after Dr Mahathir resigned abruptly on Feb 24.

He, however, stayed on in Pakatan Harapan despite his then party joining hands with Barisan Nasional parties and PAS to form a new Federal Government.

However, in the past couple of weeks, Dr Mahathir had also had a fallout with Anwar, Pakatan Harapan's initial choice for the ninth prime minister if it wins the next general election.