It's a collective Pakatan call, not mine alone, Rafizi tells Muhyiddin over rejection of Perikatan collaboration

PETALING JAYA: It was the Pakatan Harapan's presidential council's decision to put a stop to all discussions for collaboration with Perikatan Nasional, says Rafizi Ramli.

The PKR deputy president was responding to Perikatan chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's remark that it was Rafizi's personal opinion that the Opposition bloc and Perikatan Nasional would not work together.

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"He said that it is my personal opinion, not Pakatan's decision.

"I am the deputy president of Keadilan (PKR) and the one sitting in the Pakatan presidential council. But he (Muhyiddin) knows Pakatan's decision?

"The decision is for Pakatan to strengthen the collaboration and face the general election (GE15) as Pakatan. Full stop," Rafizi said in a statement on Tuesday (Aug 30).

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He said the personal opinions of Pakatan leaders had no bearing on the presidential council's decision.

"If there are one or two leaders from parties within Pakatan who want to discuss with Perikatan, that's their personal opinion," he added.

He said Pakatan's rationale for rejecting Perikatan's offer to collaborate was because the coalition was aware of Muhyiddin's intention to save positions of his coalition members.

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He also responded to Muhyiddin saying that the reason Perikatan wanted to work with Pakatan was to save the country from Umno and Barisan Nasional.

Rafizi also said it was Perikatan's choice to form a government with Umno in the first place.

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"It is better for Muhyiddin to openly state that Perikatan is willing to work with Pakatan for his own interests and power and not for the country's interest," he said.

He said Keadilan and Pakatan would continue to fight against corruption, eradicate politics based on racism and bring new ideas to solve the people's problems.