Anwar denies any involvement in alleged Melaka takeover attempt

PORT DICKSON: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has denied claims that he sought an audience with Melaka governor Tun Mohd Ali Rustam for Pakatan Harapan to form the state government.

"This is not true. There have been no requests from me," said the PKR president when met at Dataran Kemang near here on Saturday (Oct 2).

Asked if the Melaka government could collapse, Anwar said he had no knowledge about it.

"That you must ask Melaka. People inform me but there is nothing concrete. I just listen," he said.

On reports that he met Melaka Pakatan on the matter, Anwar said he had regular meetings with state liaison committees.

"I hold talks with all Pakatan state councils with the latest being Selangor followed by Perak, Penang, Negri Sembilan, Sabah and Melaka," he said.

It was reported on Friday (Oct 1) that top Pakatan leaders were supposedly seeking an audience with Mohd Ali to take over the administration of the state.

A Melaka Perikatan Nasional insider had told The Star that two senior Pakatan leaders were spotted at Mohd Ali's residence at Bukit Katil here allegedly with statutory declarations of 15 assemblymen in a bid to form a new state government comprising assemblymen from Umno, DAP, Parti Amanah Negara, PKR, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia and one independent but were unable to meet Mohd Ali.

However, an internal conflict within the state DAP apparently derailed the move at the eleventh hour as they refused to work with others who had left the previous Pakatan -led state government.

Melaka has 28 state constituencies and Perikatan currently has the support of 17 assemblymen.

There was a previous attempt to remove Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali in early August.

However, this did not materialise as there was a change at Federal level when Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob was sworn in as the ninth Prime Minister on Aug 21.

On a separate matter, Anwar said it had yet to be decided which logo Pakatan would use in the GE15.

"We will talk to the states and divisions on this. What is more important is that Pakatan can emerge as a strong bloc," he said.

Anwar also said he had yet to decide which seat he would contest in the next GE.

"We have not finalised who will be contesting where and this includes the president too," he said.