Party with most seats should name PM, says PKR veep

KUALA LUMPUR: A PKR vicepresident has apparently gone against the grain by saying parties with the most seats should have the lead advantage in picking the prime ministerial candidate.

Professor Dr Shaharuddin Badaruddin also said instead of squabbling over their preferred choice, Pakatan members should focus on winning the 14th General Election.

“Discussions on who should be the prime minister should only take place after we win. We will see which party wins the most seats because then that party would have the advantage of choosing the prime minister,” Shaharuddin said.

DAP holds the most opposition seats with 37 out of 89 in the Dewan Rakyat. The official opposition leader in Parliament is PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, whose party’s share of seats stands at 28.

Other opposition parties with fewer seats are Pas (14), Parti Amanah Negara (PAN) (6), Parti Sosialis Malaysia (1), Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) (1) and Parti Warisan Sabah (2).

Former PKR leader Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim is an independent.

At the PKR congress last week, party leaders had unanimously named jailed de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as its prime ministerial candidate, with his wife, Wan Azizah, as the “interim prime minister”.

“The focus should be on winning the general election, rather than quarreling on who should we name (as the prime minister candidate),” Shaharuddin said.

PKR delegates and leaders, along with DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang and PAN president Mohamad Sabu, held placards bearing the words “Anwar as the 7th PM” at the party congress.

However, PPBM chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and party president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin refrained from doing so.