Friday 29 Mar 2024
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(April 28): Like former law minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang said he too felt Umno veteran Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah to be a good choice for the next prime minister.

Lim said in view of the current problems faced by both the Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Rakyat (PR), he came up with several likely candidates to be considered for the top post and Tengku Razaleigh was one of them.

He said this was part of his effort to push the “Save Malaysia” idea - forming a new government that comprise lawmakers from both sides of the political divide - to keep up with the changing political landscape.

"I had in fact named several names, from Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak and Sabah among the present batch of 222 MPs who could be considered as possibilities as prime minister material of such a “Save Malaysia” grand coalition – and Tengku Razaleigh was one of them," he said in a statement.

The Gelang Patah MP said it was important to have someone who could win the confidence of the current batch of MPs to lead the national agenda of “Save Malaysia” to defend constitutionalism, the rule of law and moderation.

In the statement, which was also his speech at a ceramah in Pengkalan Rinting, Johor Baru last night, Lim presented the audience with two options as solutions to the current impasse and multiple crises faced by the country.

"Either have snap general election or the present batch of 222 MPs should rise above race, religion and party affiliation to elect a “Save Malaysia” PM who is committed to defend constitutionalism, the rule of law and moderation," he said.

Lim said Malaysia is in a "no man's land" because the country has never been engulfed with so many crises at one time, giving the example of the RM42 billion 1MDB debts, the GST, the racial and religious polarisation, the loss of confidence in the prime minister and troubles within Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat.

"For the first time in the nation's history, there is open speculation as to who should be the new prime minister of Malaysia," he said.

For the formidable task, Lim said Malaysians must be prepared to put their differences aside and concentrate all the energies on a common agenda – to save Malaysia from all the forces threatening to tear the country asunder.

"I had said that the prime minister of such a 'Save Malaysia' coalition can come from either side of the present political divide, can be from the Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak or Sabah and can be a man or a woman.

More importantly, he said that the next PM must be able to win the confidence of the 222 MPs and be able to lead the national agenda of “Save Malaysia” to defend constitutionalism, the rule of law and moderation "as Malaysia's way of life and as a model to the world". – The Malaysian Insider

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