Kit Siang: Anwar can only be 8th PM

Hadi’s statement about US Ambassador during last general election campaign most intriguing, both in content and timing, says DAP supremo.

PETALING JAYA: DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang has reiterated that Anwar Ibrahim is Pakatan Harapan’s prime minister-designate, but will only become Malaysia’s eighth prime minister and not seventh.

This is the logical progression that was already mentioned by some leaders in PKR who have spoken up on the matter previously.

“As Anwar is in jail and suffering the five-year disenfranchisement from holding public office on his release from imprisonment next year until he is pardoned, Anwar can only be the eighth prime minister and not the seventh prime minister of Malaysia.

“Who is that seventh prime minister will be decided by consensus when Pakatan Harapan wins GE14,” Lim said in a statement, without mentioning any names.

It was reported previously that the consensus from the founding parties of the opposition coalition – PKR, DAP and Amanah – was that PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail be made the seventh prime minister to “warm the seat” pending the relevant pardon process that could see Anwar be released from the restriction that his conviction places on him holding public office.

At the PKR national congress on May 21, PKR, DAP and Amanah leaders, as well as PKR members were seen holding up placards proclaiming their support for Anwar as the “7th prime minister”.

However, the PPBM leaders present at the congress, namely its chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad and president Muhyiddin Yassin, both did not hold up the placards.

“The focus of all Pakatan Harapan parties at present should be single-mindedly how to ensure that the Umno-BN coalition can be defeated and replaced in GE14,” Lim said.

Lim, who is Gelang Patah MP, also spoke about a recent Facebook post by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, who spoke about a meeting with the United States ambassador just prior to the last general election (GE13) in May 2013.

“I am very intrigued by Hadi’s Facebook posting of the meeting. He wrote that he was asked (by the ambassador) who would PAS support as prime minister if the opposition bloc won GE13.

“Hadi recounted how he avoided giving an answer by asking back ‘who is the candidate agreed to by the US?’, at which both parties laughed and the subject was not pursued.

“This is quite a revelation and confirms that although Anwar was widely known to be the Pakatan Rakyat pick for prime minister, Hadi and his lieutenants had other thoughts,” Lim said, revealing also how DAP had disagreed with Hadi before GE13 over a suggestion that Anwar should be replaced as Pakatan Rakyat’s prime minister-designate. -Mkini