Thursday 28 Mar 2024
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PUTRAJAYA: Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (pic) has denied having knowledge about any plan to offer the country’s No 2 post to opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as part of a political reconciliation plan between the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Rakyat (PR).

News portal Malaysiakini reported Muhyiddin as urging the public not to believe such claims made by PKR politicians.

“There are more important issues to be handled than battling for positions,” Muhyiddin was quoted by Malaysiakini as saying in Putrajaya yesterday.

The Federal Court upheld Anwar’s sodomy conviction and five-year jail sentence on Feb 10.

At a ceramah in Penang five days after the verdict, PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar said her father had been offered the No 2 post in 2013 soon after the 13th general election in which PR won 52% of the popular vote.

“He was told to ignore PKR’s allies, PAS and DAP. Accept the offer, form a government... ‘que sera sera’ (whatever will be, will be), ‘kita bergembira bersama-sama’ (we rejoice together),” Nurul Izzah said in her speech on Feb 15.

On Feb 17, PKR secretary-general Rafizi Ramli backed Nurul Izzah’s claim, saying the offer was made as part of reconciliation talks between BN and PR, and that Anwar was also offered four ministerial posts.

Rafizi said the offer to Anwar hinged on PKR breaking ranks with DAP and PAS.

The talks, however, broke down after Anwar insisted that PAS and DAP be included in any form of national reconciliation with the BN federal government, Rafizi said.

When asked about this yesterday, Muhyiddin said these claims were meant to distract public attention.

“Do not be trapped by such statements, they are just trying to stir [up] matters,” Malaysiakini quoted the deputy prime minister as saying. — The Malaysian Insider


This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on February 25, 2015.

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