KUALA LUMPUR – Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is netizens’ first choice as the country’s ninth prime minister, revealed a recent Sinar Harian poll.
The survey saw the PKR president getting the highest percentage of votes at 45.76%, followed by former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak (24.54%).
Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who currently holds the top job, received 14.55% of the votes to place third, followed by Umno deputy president Datuk Mohamad Hasan (6.74%).
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin got 4.57% of the votes, while Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein picked up 3.89%.
The online poll saw 1,207 responses across the Bahasa Malaysia daily’s social media platforms.
The results were announced on Sinar Harian’s 256th Wacana Live programme, title “PM9: Abah atau Siapa?”, on Tuesday.
Anwar, who is also Port Dickson MP, was set to become prime minister, replacing Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, under an agreement forged before Pakatan Harapan won the 2018 general election, a historic event that saw Barisan Nasional suffering its first-ever defeat.
However, the succession plan was thwarted by the infamous Sheraton Move in February last year, which led to PH’s fall and the rise of the Perikatan Nasional administration headed by Muhyiddin.
Anwar carved out his political career as founder of youth organisation Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia in the 1970s.
In the 1980s, he held several key ministerial posts before climbing the ranks further to become deputy prime minister from 1993 to 1998, prior to his fallout with Umno and arrest that triggered the Reformasi movement and formation of PKR. – The Vibes, July 1, 2021
