Malaysia needs ‘fresh start’ and Anwar best PM candidate: Politician

KUALA LUMPUR, June 17, 2020, Malay Mail. PKR organising secretary Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad has named party president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) best choice for prime minister candidate, amid indecision from the party, Malay Mail reported.

In a series of tweets today, the Setiawangsa MP insisted that the pact has yet to name its choice, and claimed it is unfair to force Anwar to accept Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s leadership — accusing the latter as responsible for putting PH in its current situation.

“Malaysia needs a fresh start, a clean government focused on a more just and equitable economy for all citizens. The best candidate is Anwar Ibrahim,” Nik Nazmi posted.

“As of now PH has yet to reach a consensus on the PM9 issue,” Nik Nazmi he said prior to that.

“Therefore, it is unfair to force Anwar to accept Dr Mahathir as the PM9 candidate for what he has been through before.”

Nik Nazmi’s assertion differs from DAP, who said earlier today that all other parties allied to PH but PKR have decided on Dr Mahathir as prime minister, with Anwar as the deputy.

This comes as Anwar said earlier today that PH has decided who its next candidate for prime minister is, but it will need to refer to Warisan and Dr Mahathir’s bloc before a final decision is reached.

The pact was supposed to finalise its decision yesterday.

“In addition, Tun Dr Mahathir’s record in the power transition issue is what creates uncertainty when PH was governing before this,” Nik Nazmi claimed.

“The political crisis we’ve been through after the Sheraton Move is in part caused by his action to resign without discussing with PH allies and his confidence that Umno and PAS MPs are with him.”

Malay Mail understands that PKR’s allies in PH are pushing Anwar to stop dragging his feet and accept the deal by Dr Mahathir in order for the opposition to take the fight against the Perikatan Nasional government which assumed power from them in February.

Malay Mail previously reported sources as saying PH Plus — the moniker of the alliance between PH, Warisan and Dr Mahathir’s faction in Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia — had proposed Anwar as the deputy prime minister under Dr Mahathir, together with another deputy in Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.

It is believed that the proposal had two conditions: that Dr Mahathir would only be prime minister for six months, and that Anwar must command the support of Sabah and Sarawak.

Malay Mail also reported that some in the other PH components have also expressed their exasperation against Anwar for allegedly dragging his feet even before the Wednesday meeting ― including by refusing to talk with Dr Mahathir.