‘Focus on winning GE14, not on who will be PM’
KUALA LUMPUR: Opposition pact leaders have sidestepped the issue of 91-year-old Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s wish to be prime minister again, and say focus should instead be trained on devising a winning electoral campaign.
Commenting on Dr Mahathir’s willingness to be the prime ministerial candidate for Pakatan Harapan, pact leaders said it was not a matter that needed the alliance’s attention for now.
PKR vice-president Tian Chua said no Pakatan Harapan prime ministerial candidate would fulfil the top position if the pact lost the election.
“Hold your horses. Let us work on a feasible plan and come up with an effective strategy to win the election.
“There is no need to be hasty about naming who should be prime minister. It is a matter that does not arise,” Tian Chua said.
Parti Amanah Negara (PAN) deputy president Salahuddin Ayub said he did not want to give his take on the issue as there was other work that needed to be done, especially in terms of strengthening the opposition’s machinery.
“We are too busy with the tasks at hand to improve our organisation and party machinery.
“Based on our experience, we want to be ‘critical political actors’.”
He said while it should be noted that both Dr Mahathir and jailed PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim were capable of shouldering the job of prime minister, PAN believed the pact should understand people-centric issues better and offer solutions to them.
At press time, DAP leaders could not be contacted for comment.
Pakatan Harapan is expected to name their prime minister candidate at a meeting tomorrow.
Political pundit Professor Dr Sivamurugan Pandian, however, doubted that the opposition pact could reach a consensus on the matter.
“All this while, they (opposition parties) have avoided discussing this as all parties have their reservations on who should be their prime ministerial candidate, or even (name) a shadow cabinet.
“I do not think they will be able to reach a consensus on Friday, and may repeat the same mantra, which is to wait until the 14th General Election is over,” he told the New Straits Times yesterday.
He said some might disagree with Dr Mahathir being named as the candidate due to his age and as well as the fact that his party, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, was considered the new kid on the block.