Anwar: Choice of PM is non-issue
Hafiz YatimPublished: Feb 26, 2013 4:14 AM | Updated: Feb 26, 2013 11:26 PM
The question of who will become prime minister - should Pakatan Rakyat form the federal government - is “not an issue”, said opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.
The question of who will become prime minister - should Pakatan Rakyat form the federal government - is “not an issue”, said opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.
He asked why anyone should make this "a big issue" when it was not raised at the Pakatan convention yesterday, when the coalition launched its election manifesto.
“In the BN manifesto, there is no announcement as to who will be the prime minister,” he said.
“Similarly in 2008 there was no announcement (by Pakatan). Was there an announcement that 'we want Khalid (Ibrahim) to be the Selangor menteri besar' or 'Anwar will become...'? There was no (such) announcement.”
Anwar said Pakatan works on consensus between PKR, DAP and PAS.
He was asked why Pakatan has not endorsed anyone as the prime minister, and whether problems could arise if he is not appointed to the post in the event that the coalition takes Putrajaya.
“The convention yesterday was for the purpose of leaders gathering and agreeing on a common policy on the manifesto,” he said.
He denied that the failure to name a PM-in-waiting was due to Pakatan leaders being unable to agree on a candidate, and further dismissed the notion that this could affect public perception or that it could affect votes in the upcoming general election.
Asked if he feels that the BN and Umno have been playing up this issue, Anwar said they have played up all issues, including the use of ‘Allah’, but that Pakatan should focus on its reform agenda.
While some DAP leaders reiterated their backing for Anwar as premier, PAS leaders created a buzz by declining to commit to this on the sidelines of yesterday’s event.
PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu (left) and central executive council member Dr Dzukefly Ahmad, although deemed to be ‘Anwar’s men’, did not voice their support.
Party information chief Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man reportedly said the Pakatan component party with the most elected representatives in Parliament should be allowed to pick the prime minister.
Certain blogs have claimed that PAS has met secretly with Umno’s Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah on the possibility of getting him to take the top cabinet post, but this has been dismissed as untrue.
He asked why anyone should make this "a big issue" when it was not raised at the Pakatan convention yesterday, when the coalition launched its election manifesto.
“In the BN manifesto, there is no announcement as to who will be the prime minister,” he said.“Similarly in 2008 there was no announcement (by Pakatan). Was there an announcement that 'we want Khalid (Ibrahim) to be the Selangor menteri besar' or 'Anwar will become...'? There was no (such) announcement.”
Anwar said Pakatan works on consensus between PKR, DAP and PAS.
He was asked why Pakatan has not endorsed anyone as the prime minister, and whether problems could arise if he is not appointed to the post in the event that the coalition takes Putrajaya.
“The convention yesterday was for the purpose of leaders gathering and agreeing on a common policy on the manifesto,” he said.
He denied that the failure to name a PM-in-waiting was due to Pakatan leaders being unable to agree on a candidate, and further dismissed the notion that this could affect public perception or that it could affect votes in the upcoming general election.
Asked if he feels that the BN and Umno have been playing up this issue, Anwar said they have played up all issues, including the use of ‘Allah’, but that Pakatan should focus on its reform agenda.
While some DAP leaders reiterated their backing for Anwar as premier, PAS leaders created a buzz by declining to commit to this on the sidelines of yesterday’s event.
PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu (left) and central executive council member Dr Dzukefly Ahmad, although deemed to be ‘Anwar’s men’, did not voice their support.Party information chief Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man reportedly said the Pakatan component party with the most elected representatives in Parliament should be allowed to pick the prime minister.
Certain blogs have claimed that PAS has met secretly with Umno’s Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah on the possibility of getting him to take the top cabinet post, but this has been dismissed as untrue.
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