FORMER prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his men have brooked no refusal in Sabah Chief Minister Shafie Apdal for prime minister designate, after allies in Pakatan Harapan (PH) threw their support for PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim.
“Even though the Pakatan Harapan presidential council has named Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as its prime minister candidate, this did not involve me or my colleagues from Bersatu or Warisan,” Mahathir said in a statement today.
Mahathir, who turned 95 today, said he and his allies still held to the suggestion that arose from his discussions with Warisan and PH component parties Amanah and DAP on June 25.
“In that discussion, Amanah and DAP had suggested Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal as prime minister designate and Datuk Seri Anwar as well as Datuk Seri Mukhriz as first and second deputy prime minister respectively,” Mahathir said. Jerlun MP Mukhriz is Mahathir’s son.
Other signatures of the statement today include Mukhriz, Muar MP Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman, Simpang Renggam MP Maszlee Malik, Kubang Pasu MP Amiruddin Hamzah and Sri Gading MP Shahruddin Md Salleh.
Shahruddin previously quit as deputy works minister but it was believed that he would remain a backbencher.
Mahathir said that he and his colleagues in Bersatu supported that decision as he believed it would solve the impasse over a prime minister candidate from the opposition and also receive support to wrest Putrajaya from Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and his Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition.
Muhyiddin and PN formed government after a coup in February that saw the collapse of PH and ousting of Mahathir as prime minister.
“For us, nominating Datuk Seri Shafie as prime minister is a positive step that has to be taken. It is not because we believe in his abilities to get the support of the majority but also a step forward in strengthening ties between the Peninsular and Sabah and Sarawak,” Mahathir said.
Meanwhile, Mahathir and his men have decided to team up with Warisan as an independent block in and outside of Parliament.
“We also oppose any attempt to replace the (Parliament) Speaker and will continue with the no-confidence motion against Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin who formed a government that had not been chosen by the public,” Mahathir said. – July 10, 2020
