KUALA LUMPUR • Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, president of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) that lost power in Malaysia less than two weeks ago, has asked his colleagues in the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition to close ranks and continue to fight against "traitors".
He also voiced his concerns over PH lawmakers being wooed to switch their support to new Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.
"Don't let the episode of treachery against democracy recur. If there are such leaders (still in Harapan), please leave," he said in a Facebook post yesterday.
The 22-month PH government consisting of PKR and three other parties collapsed at the end of last month when Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia left the coalition, taking with it 10 MPs from PKR.
PH was quickly replaced by the Perikatan Nasional alliance cobbled together by Tan Sri Muhyiddin, who is president of Bersatu.
PH has claimed that it has majority support from MPs in the federal Parliament to return as government, but its call for the House to be reconvened for a vote of confidence has been thwarted. Parliament is expected to reconvene only on May 18.
Mr Anwar yesterday also urged PH not to abandon hope, even as the new Cabinet ministers were sworn in.
"Whatever happens, this team will continue to stick together and build its strength. Don't panic... revive the spirit," he wrote.
"We must be solid, move together in a team and explain to the people about the arguments by the traitors. Don't give up and sacrifice principles."
Mr Anwar told supporters who had gathered at his house on Sunday that there are efforts to convince PH lawmakers to switch sides.
"This (crisis) is part of the hurdles that we face in our struggle. Those who had gone to the other side are also wavering, they are not that strong," Mr Anwar was quoted as saying by Malaysiakini news site.
"Their job is to convince (our lawmakers) one by one," he added.
At least 112 MPs are needed to control Parliament, and thus form the government, in the 222-strong Lower House.
Meanwhile, Mr Anwar's wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail has said in a Bloomberg Television interview that her husband is the most likely person to lead the country instead of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad should the opposition coalition return to power.
"I will have a meeting, and I think most probably it's going to be Anwar," said Dr Wan Azizah, who was deputy prime minister in the PH government led by Dr Mahathir.
Mr Anwar, 72, had waited in the wings for nearly two years for Dr Mahathir to fulfil a campaign pledge to eventually name him prime minister.
Yet Dr Mahathir, 94, had refused to commit to a timeline for the transition even as Mr Anwar said he expected to take over in May.
The feud along with bickering among the parties helped lead to the PH coalition's breakdown.
Unity between the two long-time rivals will be key to the coalition's ability to mount a challenge to PM Muhyiddin's government.
Dr Mahathir has said he plans to call a confidence vote against Mr Muhyiddin as soon as Parliament convenes.
Dr Wan Azizah also said in the interview in Kuala Lumpur that PH will be ready for anything, including snap elections.
"We'll have to wait and see how things will unfold," she added. "Because everything looks to be so uncertain, so insecure, so fragile."
THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK, BLOOMBERG
