KUALA LUMPUR – Pakatan Harapan chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim should not be prevented from seeking an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong if he has garnered majority support from among MPs, said Amanah president Mohamad Sabu.
He said Anwar, who is parliamentary opposition leader, should not wait until the end of the emergency on August 1 as the government under Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, which has lost its majority and “legitimacy”, would commit more irregularities throughout the period.
“If we (PH) have the majority now, Anwar must seek the audience with the Agong. I do not know of anything to prevent the change (of government) before the emergency ends,” said Mohamad, who is MP for Kota Raja.
"The emergency can end whenever and in accordance with the appropriate timing and suggestions from the ruler.
“I am confident that the Agong will carry out his duties and allow Anwar to show his support. Why wait until August? Irregularities will occur even more (with Muhyiddin as PM),” Mohamad was quoted as saying by news site Malaysia Dateline.
He reportedly said this during a Facebook Live session on NRCchannelTV last night.
Muhyiddin’s Perikatan Nasional government currently has the support of 109 parliamentarians after two Umno legislators – Padang Rengas MP Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz and Machang MP Datuk Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub – withdrew their support for the Bersatu president recently.
Similarly, Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah had also abstained from voting in the Budget 2021, a move seen to oppose Muhyiddin's leadership.
As it stands, Muhyiddin now has the backing of only 109 MPs out of 220.
However, Mohamad said Amanah will not cooperate with Umno per se if the party wants to work with PH, but PH will consider working with Umno members who are “clean” and not involved in corruption.
This, he said, also depended on discussion among the PH coalition’s leadership.
“We will discuss (the matter in the PH meeting) when we reach that stage.
“However, we have no problem with individuals from Umno or any group that pledge support (for PH). On the question of Umno coming to cooperate with us, we will have to discuss the matter within PH.
“However, when it comes to the individuals we have no problem,” he said. – The Vibes, January 13, 2021