Thursday 28 Mar 2024
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KUALA LUMPUR (June 27): Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he, together with leaders of Amanah, DAP, and Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan), unanimously agreed to name Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal (pic) as the new prime minister candidate at an informal meeting held here.

According to Dr Mahathir, the loose coalition, commonly dubbed Pakatan Harapan Plus, also agreed to name PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as deputy prime minister I and former Kedah menteri besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir as deputy prime minister II. 

In a statement today, Dr Mahathir said he met with leaders of the parties on Thursday to discuss the current state of the country, where they all expressed concerns over some of the current developments.

Attendees of the meeting included Mohd Shafie himself, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu, DAP chairman Tan Kok Wai, DAP vice-chairman M Kulasegaran, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, DAP organising secretary Anthony Loke, DAP central committee member Liew Chin Tong, Mukhriz as well as Datuk Wira Marzuki Yahya, who was appointed by Dr Mahathir as the Bersatu secretary-general.

Dr Mahathir said the meeting also discussed several suggestions for the direction of the campaign to restore the mandate of the people from current Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. 

"During the discussion, I was open to any suggestions, including that I was not nominated as the next prime minister. Among the proposals was Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal's nomination as the prime minister.

"We unanimously agreed that Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal would be named as the prime minister candidate.

"I fully support this proposal. The important thing is that we have a firm stand so that the people know our position," Dr Mahathir said. 

Dr Mahathir explained that Mohd Shafie was one of the first leaders to go against the kleptocratic government since before the 14th general election (GE14). 

According to Dr Mahathir, Mohd Shafie was also one of the leaders who had been a victim of former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak's government and ousted from the posts of a minister and Umno vice-president for failing to accept the corruption linked to the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal.

"I believe that if this move is successful, it will further strengthen the relationship between the peninsula (Peninsular Malaysia) with Sabah and Sarawak," he said. 

Dr Mahathir added that he will move a motion of no confidence against Muhyiddin and his government in the next parliamentary session, scheduled to start on July 13.  

"God willing, the support of MPs (Members of Parliament) who cannot accept Tan Sri Muhyiddin's back-door government and want to restore the people's mandate will be with me, with other colleagues supporting Datuk Seri Shafie's nomination to become the prime minister.

"If this effort succeeds, we will be able to ensure that the democratic principles demanded by the people will be fulfilled. We need to end the government that the people did not choose," he added. 

To recap, the Pakatan government fell in February after Dr Mahathir resigned as the prime minister.

The two-time premier had claimed that PKR and its president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim refused to cooperate with him. The party is backing Anwar as their candidate for the next prime minister.

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