Anwar free to talk to enemies about forming new government, says PKR

(Malaysiakini) – PKR central leadership and parliamentarians have agreed to provide space and freedom to party president Anwar Ibrahim to negotiate with anyone in efforts for Pakatan Harapan to recapture Putrajaya.

PKR chief whip Johari Abdul said this decision was made after PKR stood firm in its decision to reject Dr Mahathir Mohamad as the prime minister candidate once again.

“We have decided to give space, he (Anwar) can discuss with whoever including Mahathir for him to bring back the Harapan government,” he said when contacted by Malaysiakini.

Johari also confirmed that Anwar had revealed in a special meeting with the party central leadership council and parliamentarians that he had met with several leaders in the “other bloc” previously.

Among the names mentioned included Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, Home Affairs Minister Hamzah Zainuddin and Sarawak state leaders.

However, Anwar did not elaborate on what happened in those meetings, Johari said.

A PKR parliamentarian who did not want to be named also confirmed with Malaysiakini that Anwar had mentioned he had met with Muhyiddin and Hamzah.

However, the PKR source said the details and the results of those meetings were not revealed to them.

“He revealed these names because he knows Mahathir also met with leaders from other blocs such as (former PKR deputy president) Azmin Ali and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang.

“He did lament a little about how his actions are being questioned by people but no one is questioning Mahathir,” the source said.

Another PKR leader said the meeting with different leaders was a norm when lobbying for more support from parliamentarians.

“Because we have already rejected Mahathir as a prime minister candidate, so we must search for the possibility of others to shore up our support.

“Anwar said there was only one person he did not meet, that is Najib,” the source said with a laugh.

“This is a normal thing. But as far as we know, it seems like the meeting in Sarawak the other day was not fruitful,” the source added.

PKR had said in a statement that they rejected Mahathir as the prime minister candidate for Pakatan Harapan Plus.

The party’s leadership council and MPs said they would stand by “Harapan’s consensus” for their president Anwar Ibrahim to be the coalition’s prime minister candidate.

“PKR is open to discussions with all quarters including Mahathir in the effort to save the country and return the people’s mandate to its rightful place.

“However, the party has decided not to support the proposal to nominate Mahathir as prime minister and maintains the Harapan consensus to nominate Anwar as prime minister,” they had said in their statement.

DAP and Amanah later claimed that Anwar had failed to secure the support of Sarawak’s GPS to be prime minister if the coalition and its allies recaptured federal power.

They also revealed that the first option which proposed Anwar as prime minister and Mukhriz Mahathir as number two failed to garner the required support from lawmakers.

The second option, they said, was for Mahathir to be prime minister and Anwar as his deputy.