Putrajaya denies unity government talk, says it’s fiction

Putrajaya has denied talk of a proposed unity government with opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, saying today any such talk was "naughty" and a fiction.

The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said several portals had reported the alleged talks but labelled such reports as the writer's "imagination" as there were no efforts for a unity government by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

"The report that quoted Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar as confirming there was an effort by Datuk Seri Mohd Najib to form a unity government is a 'political statement that is meant to be naughty'," said the seven-paragraph statement issued by the PMO.

"The efforts by former Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla before the 13th General Election to obtain Datuk Seri Mohd Najib's and Datuk Seri Anwar's agreement to avoid personal attacks and accept the results is the only political agreement that exists," it added.

It said that according to Jusuf, Anwar had contacted him before the general election to obtain an agreement from Najib to respect the people's decision, which was agreed to by the prime minister.

"However, Anwar refused to do so as he alleged that there has been foul play in the election process.

"Therefore, Anwar's statement of an effort to form a unity government is just a "creation and invention" for the interest of the opposition pact, especially for its leader," the statement said.

The PMO also said any discussion on the topic could not take place until Anwar and the rest of the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leadership accepted the results of the May 5 general elections.

In an interview published by the Asia Sentinel two days ago, Anwar said that the peace moves were initiated by Najib, but he had sent word through intermediaries that attacks by Utusan Malaysia on the Chinese and Indian communities would have to cease, before any progress could be made.

He said he also wanted as a condition, the lowering of the racial temperature in Malaysia.

The Edge Review digital magazine had reported today that revelation of the talks would lead to more hostility against Najib ahead of the Umno polls this October. The magazine had reported Jusuf's role to broker a peace pact between Najib and Anwar before GE13.

The Malaysian Insider broke the news of possible peace talks between Najib and Anwar in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta in June but Anwar denied it initially until his interview with Asia Sentinel this week.