KUALA LUMPUR: An opposition lawmaker has denied claims that Pakatan Harapan component parties, excluding PKR, have named interim leaders if the opposition wins the next general election.
This follows a report by an English news portal yesterday that Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM), Parti Amanah Negara (PAN) and DAP have agreed to name Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as the interim prime minister and Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as his deputy.
The report said the proposal was made during a two-day PH retreat at Perdana Leadership Foundation in Putrajaya on Dec 1 and 2.
PAN communications director Khalid Samad however said during the weekend retreat, the opposition pact had only discussed strategies to face the upcoming 14th General Election (GE14).
He said, the report which quoted a source, was false.
Khalid, who is the Shah Alam Member of Parliament, urged the news portal to reveal its source to ascertain the authenticity of the allegation.
“I want to stress here that there was no discussion on who will be our interim prime minister and deputy prime minister if Pakatan Harapan wins the GE14.
“I would like to ask the portal to name its source because only then we can find out if it was genuine or just a propaganda.
“If they refused to reveal (the source), we will take it as a provocation towards us (Pakatan Harapan),” he said when contacted.
The report, which was published yesterday, also claimed that only PKR has yet to reach a consensus on the matter.
It claimed Dr Wan Azizah had agreed to the proposal in principal, but was facing disagreement from a faction within her party.
Rumours on Dr Mahathir, who is also Pakatan Harapan chairman, to be made the pact’s interim prime minister candidate came about several months ago when he expressed his willingness to take on the role if “friends in the opposition saw fit to ask” him to do so.
PKR vice-president Dr Shaharuddin Badaruddin who also denied the claims told the New Straits Times that such agreement has yet to be made within the pact officially.
“I don’t know how to comment because I have no idea where this is coming from.
"All I know is that Pakatan Harapan has yet to make any official decision on who will be our interim prime minister.” he said.
keywords: opposition, Pakatan Harapan, PKR, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, interim prime minister