KUALA LUMPUR – PKR says that while it respects Umno’s call for a political ceasefire, the party vows to continue its fight to reinstate the people’s mandate.
Party secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said this will be done by way of working together with parliamentarians who share the same goal as the reformist party.
“PKR takes note and respects the statement made by Umno president (Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi) today.
“At the same time, we will continue our efforts towards restoring the rakyat’s mandate with the cooperation of MPs who support the same aspirations and hopes as ours.
“This is to correct the direction of the country’s leadership especially in the fight against Covid-19, to rebuild the economy, as well as to double our efforts in addressing the people’s problems,” he said in a brief statement today.
While Saifuddin did not specify what he meant by restoring the people’s mandate, he is probably referring to Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) efforts to reclaim the federal power it had lost earlier this year.
The coalition had made history when it unseated Barisan Nasional during the 14th General Election on May 9, 2018.
However, after a political imbroglio that saw Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad resigning as prime minister, federal power once again changed hands in February, with Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin taking over the top post.
Last month, PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim dropped a bombshell when he claimed to enjoy the backing of the majority of the Dewan Rakyat.
Speculation has also been rife that among those throwing their support behind Anwar are MPs from Umno.
Just last week, Umno issued a statement saying it was reconsidering its support for the Muhyiddin-led Perikatan Nasional government.
This comes after several Umno MPs openly acknowledged that the party was unhappy with a number of decisions made by Muhyiddin and his party Bersatu, who they share power with.
However, in an about turn earlier today, Zahid called for a political ceasefire and instructed Umno ministers to focus on assisting the government in addressing the health and economic woes brought upon by the Covid-19 pandemic. - The Vibes, October 21, 2020
