Pakatan Harapan leaders speak out in support of Mahathir

Leaders of Malaysia's Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition have come out in support of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who they say was not involved in a plot to form a new ruling pact with opposition parties Umno and Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS).

Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) president Anwar Ibrahim, whose plan to succeed Tun Dr Mahathir under a PH agreement has been thwarted by the plot, voiced his support yesterday for the 94-year-old Premier to carry on as the country's leader.

Datuk Seri Anwar said he had pleaded with Dr Mahathir, who announced his resignation as premier yesterday, not to quit.

"This treachery could be dealt with together. But of course, he was of a different mind. He thought he shouldn't be treated in that manner, to be associated as working with those who are literally corrupt," Mr Anwar said.

Mr Anwar defended the Premier, saying Dr Mahathir's name was used by those behind the purported new coalition. "He made it very clear, in no way would he work with those in the past regime," said Mr Anwar of Dr Mahathir.

The ploy, which involved several PH leaders, picked up steam last weekend following party meetings that culminated with a grand dinner involving some 130 lawmakers from both PH and opposition parties.

Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng, who is secretary-general of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), said that the manoeuvre to form a unity government with opposition parties was a "treachery of some PH leaders", and named former PKR deputy president Azmin Ali as one of those behind the plan.

Datuk Seri Azmin left PKR yesterday, taking along with him 10 other PKR MPs, and they will form an independent bloc.

This also follows the departure of Dr Mahathir's Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM), which has 26 lawmakers, from PH.

These exits left the PH coalition without a majority in Parliament.

Mr Lim said the DAP continued to back Dr Mahathir, calling the Premier a principled man who should be "allowed to finish what he intended to do".

The party intends to propose at PH's emergency presidential council meeting that Dr Mahathir maintain his position as premier. The meeting is scheduled for today.

Mr Lim said that last Friday's agreement among the coalition party leaders to have Dr Mahathir stay on as premier until after the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in November had been "undermined and sabotaged".

He described the plot to form a backdoor government as "unconstitutional" and "against proper democratic practices".

"All these manipulations, political chicanery - it's like Game Of Thrones. It's unnecessary drama when we are facing such an economy amid Covid-19," Mr Lim said, referring to the disease outbreak that originated in China and has killed more than 2,600 people.

"He (Dr Mahathir) doesn't want to work with Umno but Bersatu feels otherwise," Mr Lim added, referring to Dr Mahathir's party.

"The problem lies with not only Bersatu, but also those from PKR who are now expelled, who want to work with Umno and other opposition parties to form a backdoor government."

PH had comprised four parties - PPBM, PKR, DAP and Parti Amanah Negara.

Dr Mahathir also stepped down as PPBM chairman following his resignation as premier.

Other leaders from Amanah and from PH ally Parti Warisan Sabah also supported Dr Mahathir continuing as prime minister.

Amanah president Mohamad Sabu said: "May Allah bring strength to Tun (Mahathir) to face this political turmoil."

On Monday morning, Amanah vice-president Mujahid Yusof Rawa posted on Twitter that PH was given the mandate by the people to lead and save the country from selfish leaders.

"The mandate changes only in (a) general election, not in gatherings at Sheraton Hotel, counting seats while having dinner!" he tweeted.

His tweet included a photo of a dinner on Sunday night attended by politicians like Mr Azmin, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and PAS president Hadi Awang.