‘We’re not backing Umno’s GE15 call’

SHAH ALAM: Pakatan Harapan does not want to be involved in Umno’s call for general election this year, says Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

He said he would relay this to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, adding that the focus should be on improving the people’s well-being rather than GE15.

“My message when I meet the Prime Minister is that I don’t want to be part of the Umno strategy on (the elections being) late or early.

“Our concern is to prepare ourselves even if elections are imminent,” he told reporters yesterday

Anwar also said the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Putrajaya and Pakatan Harapan, which ends on July 31, could trigger a general election soon.

“We don’t want to force the general election because there are immediate concerns that must be addressed, notwithstanding the fact that we must prepare for the elections from now,” he said.

The MOU, which was signed in September last year, stated among others that Parliament must not be dissolved before July 31.

Anwar also said any extension of the MOU would have to be deliberated further at the Pakatan presidential council level.

“DAP and PKR have new members at the council, so we have to discuss it,” he added.

Last Thursday, Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan reaffirmed the party’s decision not to continue with the MOU after its expiry.

Yesterday, Anwar affirmed that Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) would not be part of Pakatan’s “big tent” to face the GE15 since it played a role in the collapse of Pakatan’s 22-month administration.

“Clearly, the betrayal is very painful; it’s not just me, but (the party) sentiments can’t accept this.

“Someone committed a big crime and they caused the collapse of a government. Our mandate was betrayed, this isn’t personal,” said Anwar.

The Pakatan government fell in February 2020 following the Sheraton Move, a week-long political crisis that saw the eventual exit of Bersatu and 10 MPs from PKR led by Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali.

Earlier in his winding-up speech at the PKR national congress yesterday, Anwar played down criticisms by his deputy Rafizi Ramli, describing it as a “panadol that cured his headache”.

“Earlier, I was thinking, Rafizi, please don’t add more headaches for me. But as it turned out, he gave me a ‘panadol’ during his speech and my headaches are now gone.

“I knew him for a long time and I’m not offended because his intentions are good.

“The problem is that we have silly supporters. Just because someone has a different opinion than us, it doesn’t mean the person is a traitor, liar or corrupt,” Anwar added.

He also said that Pakatan could not deliver its promise to reduce the price of petrol a day after it came to power in May 2018 because he was not the prime minister.

He acknowledged public criticisms regarding the controversial pledge by Pakatan.

“Many people mocked us about reducing the petrol prices the next day after we won.

“But why did it not happen? Because I wasn’t the prime minister. So how could I do it?” he said.

“This time, if we win, we will deliver all our promises to the rakyat.”

Anwar also claimed that the current government could not reduce the fuel prices because those in power were busy saving their own political career.

“But what the government can do now is to at least reduce the price of cooking oil. The current palm oil prices are high and there should be no reason why cooking oil prices could not be reduced,” he said.

In 2008, Anwar pledged to reduce fuel prices if the then Pakatan Rakyat coalition won.

PKR’s three-day national congress, which began on Friday, ended yesterday afternoon.