Dr Mahathir offers himself as prospective PM candidate with PH backing

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 29  -- As the country’s political imbroglio enters into its seventh day today, there appears to be a sudden turn of events with Interim Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad saying he has met Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders this morning and believes he has the numbers needed in Dewan Rakyat to form a new government.

In a statement issued here this morning Dr Mahathir also said he is prepared to stand as prospective candidate for the eight prime minister’s post.

Another statement from PH presidential council followed soon after, stated it provides full support for Dr Mahathir as the candidate for prime ministership.

Dr Mahathir said the decision would be conveyed to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. 

In the meantime, PH presidential council, while expressing its full support to Dr Mahathir as the candidate for the prime minister post, also stressed its opposition against any move towards forming a ‘backdoor government’, especially involving the kleptocrats and traitors.

It will only ruin all the reform efforts that have been carried out thus far, it said.

PH is adhering to the principles and will continue to fight for a manifesto of the government of which PH is a coalition member, that has been given a clear mandate in the 14th General Election (GE14).

Meanwhile, in the same statement, Dr Mahathir also clarified on reports yesterday that inferred he had supported Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s candidature for the prime minister’s post.

Dr Mahathir reiterated his stance that he is against any form of cooperation with individuals who were known to be corrupt and was part of the kleptocratic administration which the PH government had worked hard to rid off.

“As a matter of principle I had conveyed this to the Bersatu Members of Parliament (MPs) during the meeting yesterday.

“In fact, I left the meeting early to allow for a free debate among Bersatu MPs to choose whomever they feel suited for the post of prime minister,” he said adding that he never signed any Statutory Declaration in support of any individual.

On Friday, an end to the political impasse was in sight for a while when Bersatu leaders who met Dr Mahathir claimed the latter had endorsed Muhyiddin as the party's candidate for prime ministership.

Almost immediately Muafakat Nasional made up of UMNO, PAS, MCA, MIC along with the splinter group from PKR threw in their support for Muhyiddin, giving the edge over Pakatan Harapan (PH) and the long time prime minister-in-waiting Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

-- BERNAMA