KUALA LUMPUR – Amanah communications director Khalid Samad has clarified that his claim of 30 Umno MPs pledging support for PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister was more of a guess.
Speaking to The Vibes tonight, Khalid said: “Anwar already said he has the support of at least 120 MPs, and we in Pakatan Harapan have 92. To get 120 MPs or slightly more, based on calculations, that’s why I said about 30. So, it was an estimate.”
Earlier in a tweet, Khalid, who is also Shah Alam MP, admitted that the figure was just an estimate, after certain quarters questioned the veracity of his claim that was made during an interview yesterday.
“Some have reminded me that the figure of 30 Umno MPs was never mentioned by any quarters. I admit it is only my estimation.
“Officially, my statement should have only said that ‘the support letters from heads of political parties that were presented to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong by Anwar included a number of Umno MPs’,” he tweeted today.
In an interview with internet TV Jom Channel last night, Khalid had said 30 Umno lawmakers had pledged support for Anwar to form a new government.
Umno has a total of 39 MPs.
Khalid had also said in the interview that Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was the one who signed the support letter for Anwar, that was purportedly submitted to the Agong during Anwar’s audience on Tuesday.
The letter Khalid had said, confirmed the support of 30 of Umno MPs.
This is in addition to separate letters signed by Amanah president Mohamad Sabu with the support of 11 MPs, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng (42 MPs) and from PKR itself (38 MPs).
Khalid added that Anwar also had the support of some independent MPs, but did not name them.
In a press conference on Tuesday, Anwar said he had submitted the names of 120 MPs who supposedly back him as prime minister during an audience with the Agong at 11am.
A source told The Vibes that the letters of support for Anwar from the heads of political parties were submitted ahead of his audience with the Agong.
It is understood the letters of support included that from Umno. – The Vibes, October 15, 2020
