Anwar aide hits out at Maszlee

PKR president Anwar Ibrahim’s aide has hit out at PPBM’s former leader Maszlee Malik for stating Pakatan Harapan will remain in the opposition indefinitely if it chooses to sideline former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

(FMT) – Perak PKR chief Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak said Maszlee needed to realise that Anwar is the rakyat’s choice.

“Maszlee does not have to delve into a political soap opera by questioning who should be the 9th prime minister,” he said in a statement.

He said the people had not forgotten the country’s present state of democracy was due to the betrayal of members from PPBM, which was once an integral part of the PH coalition.

Earlier today, Maszlee said past general elections had shown that opposition leader Anwar could only manage to secure up to 92 MPs, including those from DAP and PKR in Sabah and Sarawak.

While this would make for a strong opposition bloc, it would not be enough to garner the much-coveted 112 MPs needed in Parliament to ensure a simple majority to govern the country.

Maszlee added that he believed Mahathir could secure the support of 148 MPs if he played his cards right.

Farhash said Maszlee had to adapt to the times and the situation around him as Anwar is now a symbol of the country’s hope as the opposition leader.

Maszlee’s post comes days after PH had a meeting attended by Mahathir and Anwar, who is the PKR president.

It is believed that the meeting discussed the coalition’s candidate for prime minister, following several conflicting claims for the top post since the coalition’s collapse in February.

The political turmoil this year saw PH booted out of Putrajaya after Mahathir’s resignation as prime minister as well as the exit of PPBM from the coalition.

PPBM president Muhyiddin Yassin subsequently formed the PN government alongside PAS, Barisan Nasional and Gabungan Parti Sarawak.