Pakatan’s house not in order
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Chief Minister Tan Sri Musa Haji Aman said Selangor PKR’s rejection of Pakatan Harapan’s decision to nominate Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PBBM) chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as Prime Minister clearly showed that the opposition’s house was not in order.
He said the move to nominate Tun Mahathir as Prime Minister again was in conflict with the ‘Reformasi’ slogan that some PKR supporters were still chanting at the Pakatan convention on Sunday.
“It is apparent that some PKR supporters still hold dear the ‘Reformasi’ cry, the very movement that Tun Mahathir quashed and put its leader, Anwar Ibrahim in jail almost 20 years ago. Ironically, the person supposedly closest to Anwar has instead been very forgiving .... ,” he said.
Musa said the move to nominate Mahathir as PM and PKR President Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as Deputy Prime Minister demonstrated a lack of foresight on Pakatan’s part.
“What happened to all the grandiose talk about change? Out with the old, in with the new. It seems that Pakatan is using the same map to chart its course to Putrajaya,” he added.
Pakatan Harapan at its 2018 convention on Sunday announced Mahathir as its prime minister candidate and Wan Azizah for deputy prime minister if the opposition wins the 14th General Election (GE14).
The agreement was announced by Pakatan Harapan chief secretary Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah who also said a Royal Pardon would be obtained for Anwar after the opposition pact took over the country’s administration. This is to ensure Anwar can immediately play a role in the federal government and then to be appointed as the 8th prime minister.
Selangor PKR yesterday rejected Pakatan Harapan’s nomination of Mahathir as its prime minister candidate.
Its communications head, Hizwan Ahmad, said that with his party’s track record in governing Selangor, whose mentri besar is PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali, it was strange that the coalition did not select its PM-elect from PKR.
“The Selangor government is proof that PKR can bring about change in the administration, championing peace and prosperity.
“We find it odd that despite our long fight together and our proven extraordinary records, the party was unable to select our own leader as the prime minister candidate,” he said.
A few young activists recently mooted Azmin, who is also Selangor PH chairman, at a forum last Friday as their choice for prime minister ahead of the 14th general elections this year.
Hizwan said Malaysian youths wanted a new and fresh-faced leader to steer the country into the right direction.
He said as Malaysia enters a new era, a far-sighted and effective mind is needed to help the country progress.