Kit Siang’s interim PM suggestion a joke, says Mahdzir

(Bernama) – DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang’s statement that PKR president, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail would just be interim prime minister pending a royal pardon for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim should Pakatan Harapan win the next general election is a political comedy.

Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said the process for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to be appointed prime minister as soon as he received a pardon from Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Muhammad V, was not that simple.

“It is absolutely unrealistic. Imagine Dr Wan Azizah having to vacate her seat after Anwar gets the pardon from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to allow for a by-election, which then have to be followed by many other processes.

“All these cannot be done in a short time,” he told reporters after a student convocation programme at a hotel here today.

Local media reported that Kit Siang at a function in Penang recently, proposed that Dr Wan Azizah and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin be made interim prime minister and deputy prime minister respectively, should the Opposition win the general election.

This meant that Dr Wan Azizah would be serving as prime minister for only a few months and had to make way for Anwar when he finally gets a pardon from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, said Mahdzir who is also education minister.

He said the Opposition was merely trying to make the people believe that it was capable of leading the country if given the opportunity to hold the reins.

But the varying indication by other Opposition parties on their choice of candidate for prime minister clearly showed there was no consensus among them on the issue, he said.

“They don’t take it seriously when talking about leadership… they are not confident in their decision… every party has its own agenda,” he added.