A vote for Shafie Apdal is a vote for me, says Dr Mahathir

(TMI) – Dr Mahathir Mohamad has thrown his support behind Mohd Shafie Apdal as the prime minister candidate for Pakatan Harapan Plus in the event the coalition wins federal power in the next general election.

Speaking to Bersatu members at the Perdana Leadership Foundation yesterday, the former party chairman said he will campaign for Shafie and explain to the grassroots why he had picked him.

“Although I’m not nominated, this is someone who is with me and us as he opposes kleptocracy,” the 94-year-old told the gathering.

“That’s why we have to support Shafie. Supporting him is like supporting me

“Although, this is a minor change, I hope that the grassroots will support Shafie,” Dr Mahathir said.

https://youtu.be/7tUOpEGSjAM

DAP, Amanah and Warisan had initially nominated Dr Mahathir over PKR president Anwar Ibrahim as the prime minister candidate but the latter has said it would not accept the former two-time prime minister to return for a third stint.

It is learnt that Dr Mahathir has offered Shafie, who is Sabah chief minister, to fill the role in order to break the impasse over the prime minister candidate.

The call for Shafie to be prime minister candidate gained traction last night when Warisan vice-president Junz Wong took to Facebook and said that Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners in the formation of Malaysia, are no less than the peninsula, adding they are not second class citizens.

“Even the aspiration to see a Sabahan or Sarawakian leading the nation as a prime minister in the future is not something that is impossible,” Wong said without naming names.

Pakatan Harapan lost federal power after Bersatu pulled out of the pact in February, just 22-months into its rule.

Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin took along 11 MPs who defected from PKR and allied with Umno, PAS to form Perikatan Nasional.