KUALA LUMPUR 1/01/2018. Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir with Anuar Ibrahim left after giving a press conference at Menara Yayasan Selangor. MALAYMAIL/Azneal Ishak.
DEPUTY Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail today suggested that there will be a vacancy in the cabinet for her husband if Dr Mahathir Mohamad vacates his position as prime minister.
Her comments on the matter came about when she was asked on the prime minister’s statement yesterday that there are no vacancies in his cabinet for Anwar Ibrahim at present.
“Well, there are no cabinet vacancies,” she was reported as telling reporters in Cyberjaya today.
“If the prime minister vacates (his post), that is what was promised, yes?” Dr Wan Azizah said when pressed.
The whole debate about “no vacancy” in the cabinet started yesterday when Dr Mahathir said there was no vacancy for Anwar in the cabinet at the moment as none of the ministers wanted to resign.
“Since nobody has indicated their intention to resign, we have no vacancy.
“When we have a vacancy, we will consider suitable candidates,” the prime minister and Bersatu chairman had said.
Reacting to the matter today, PKR president Anwar said he has no intention of joining Dr Mahathir’s cabinet if there is a reshuffle any time soon.
He said he will wait for his turn for the top post as has been agreed by Pakatan Harapan.
“I am bound by the (PH) consensus. I never intended to join the cabinet.
“This is because the consensus in PH is (Dr Mahathir) as prime minister and Dr Wan Azizah (Wan Ismail) as deputy prime minister until it is my turn,” he said after an event in Kuala Lumpur.
What did Dr M mean by ‘no room for Anwar’, asks Ramasamy
Penang Deputy Chief Minister (II) P Ramasamy said he is keen to know what message Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohammed was trying to impart when he said that there was no room for PKR president Anwar Ibrahim in the cabinet.
Calling on the prime minister to respect the Pakatan Harapan succession plan under which Anwar is Mahathir’s designated successor, he asked, “Is it because there aren’t any vacancies in the cabinet or is it because Mahathir thinks that Anwar does not deserve a minister’s position at least for the time being?”
“Or is it because Anwar is destined for the post of prime minister when Mahathir relinquishes his position?” he asked in a statement today.
Ramasamy said it was strange that Mahathir had come out with this remark when Anwar had never requested for a minister’s post in the first place.
“Are there sinister forces out to derail the succession plan that was agreed upon by the Harapan component parties before the last general election? Mahathir has on countless occasions said that Anwar would succeed him. Is there a change of plan?”
Ramasamy said that while Mahathir might be clear that Anwar was the right person to succeed him, there were “now and then rumours” that give uncertainty whether Anwar would really succeed Mahathir.
“The leadership made a mistake in not stipulating a time frame for Mahathir to hand over power,” he said, adding that even without a time frame it was never intended that Mahathir would stay in power for one full term.
“Is it really fair to keep Anwar waiting on the sidelines while time is taken for the hand over of power? What is really preventing Mahathir from handing over power?”
Ramasamy expressed his fears that Umno and PAS might act as spoilers to the succession plan given the chance.
“They might not really be interested in propping up Mahathir or ensuring that Anwar remains on the sidelines but are more keen to destabilise the government to take over power,” he said.
Ramasamy, who is Perai assemblyperson, said that talk of inviting Umno leaders into the fold of Bersatu might not be good for Harapan solidarity.
“I am thankful to Mahathir for having provided crucial leadership for the great election victory against BN but let’s not forget the great sacrifice of Anwar for bringing about political reformasi that made the election victory possible.”
“Let us also not forget the sacrifice made by DAP leaders in forging the Harapan coalition to take on BN. Let us stay committed to what was agreed upon to prevent BN from coming back to power,” said Ramasamy, MKINI
THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT / MKINI
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