Gesture of appreciation
Party wants more inclusive line-up in Cabinet posts
Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azmin Ali waving to the people who turned up at a ceremony to thank his supporters for his victory in the Gombak parliamentary seat.
PETALING JAYA: PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has conveyed to the Prime Minister the desire of his party leaders for a more inclusive negotiation for Cabinet positions.
Anwar said he also reiterated PKR’s strong support for the leadership of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad during his visit to the Cheras Rehabilitation Hospital on Saturday.
“My views were well received by Dr Mahathir.
“However, this must be decided together by the Pakatan Harapan presidential council,” he said in a statement here yesterday.
Anwar said he also expressed his views to PKR to ensure the Pakatan government under the leadership of Dr Mahathir and his deputy Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail remained strong and solid.
PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli had on Saturday said there was a lack of consensus with the party on the three Cabinet appointments announced by Dr Mahathir.
Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azmin Ali said Dr Wan Azizah, the PKR president, was unable to attend the meeting before Dr Mahathir’s announcement of the Cabinet ministers.
“That is why the Prime Minister came over to the hospital – to meet and discuss, and the whole process went on well.
“We discussed several portfolios to be studied by the Prime Minister, which will also go through the Pakatan Harapan presidential council,” he told reporters after meeting Anwar at the hospital.
The names of the Cabinet members, he said, would still need to go through the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
“I believe and am confident that the process is going well and we want to ensure it is in line with the people’s aspirations,” he said, adding that they did not want to disappoint those who had supported Pakatan Harapan.
On Saturday, Dr Mahathir announced the first three members of his Cabinet line-up.
Azmin said he had also presented Sultan Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah with a list of 10 names for the state exco line-up, adding that the Ruler had given his consent.
This was confirmed by the Sultan’s private secretary Datuk Mohamad Munir Bani.
The swearing-in ceremony will be held today at Istana Alam Shah, Klang.
Earlier, during an event to thank supporters for PKR’s win in the Gombak constituency, Azmin quipped that Malaysians were now free to watch major TV channels and read local Malay dailies.