COMLEX ‘SANDIWARA’ OR NOT, MAHATHIR INDEED A SAD FIGURE AS HE LEAVES THE PALACE – FOR CONSORTING WITH THE LIKES OF AZMIN CARTEL: ‘I APPEALED TO HIM NOT TO RESIGN,’ SAYS ANWAR – AS AGONG ACCEPTS DR M’S RESIGNATION ALTHOUGH DR M STAY ON AS ‘CARETAKER PM’ UNTIL NEW GOVT FORMED

THE Yang di-Pertuan Agong has accepted Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s resignation, but appointed him interim prime minister until a new appointment to the post is made.

Chief Secretary to the Government Mohd Zuki Ali, in a statement, said Dr Mahathir will continue to helm the country until a new prime minister and cabinet are appointed.Dr Mahathir tendered his resignation to the Agong at 1pm today, and had an audience with the king at 5pm.

He left Istana Negara at 6.20pm.  – THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT

Harapan top brass to meet tonight, will nominate Dr M as PM again

Pakatan Harapan’s presidential council will hold an emergency meeting tonight, wherein DAP has pledged to nominate Dr Mahathir Mohamad to continue on as prime minister.

In a statement today after chairing a long DAP leadership meeting, party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said his party commends Mahathir for refusing to work with Umno because the latter is corrupt.

“I had seen Tun (Mahathir) this morning at his residence and was surprised when he informed me of his intention to resign.

“Mahathir clearly stated that he cannot work with Umno when we worked so hard to reject Umno successfully during the 2018 elections.

“DAP commends Tun’s principled position of refusing to work with Umno, whose leaders are involved in corrupt practices and misrule,” said Lim.

He also commended Mahathir for being the first Malaysian prime minister prepared to resign on the principle of upholding integrity and combating corruption.

Likewise, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu (below) also announced that his party would back Mahathir.

“Amanah wishes to stress our position that we fully support Mahathir as prime minister and to continue leading Harapan,” he said.

Harapan not dissolved? 

Mahathir had resigned as prime minister and as Bersatu chairperson.

Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin, meanwhile, announced the party has quit Harapan leaving the coalition without the numbers to form a government.

Eleven MPs from PKR have also quit the Harapan component party.

Despite these developments, Lim said he “rejected” the notion that the coalition had lost the simple majority to remain the government.

He suggested that political alliances remained fluid.

“I will reject the contention that we do not have a majority.

“That would (have to) be tested in Parliament when it sits again in March so let us see, let us wait together.

“I think there will be a lot of parties holding press conferences, why don’t we wait for the series of press conferences by various political parties to unfold. We can discuss the possibility in detail either tomorrow or the next few days,” he said when asked by the media.

Pressed if the Cabinet remained intact, Lim (below) indicated that there were no changes and deflected to Attorney General Tommy Thomas.

“I think the AG will come out with a statement. I think it is very clear about the status of the Malaysian government. We have also received messages from the Cabinet secretary that everything is as usual,” he said, giving similar answers when asked if Harapan was now a caretaker government and if he remained the finance minister.

Thomas is not expected to issue a statement soon as he says the political situation in the country remains too fluid.

These political shifts appear to be aimed at scuttling a handover of power to PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, as agreed by Harapan’s top brass in January 2018.

Separately, when met by reporters after his audience with the King, Anwar said he had advised Mahathir against resigning.

“I did appeal to him on behalf of PKR and Harapan. This treachery could be dealt with together.

“But of course he was of a different mind, he thought he shouldn’t be treated in that manner, to associate him with working with those literally corrupt,” the PKR president said.

He added that he believed that those staging the coup had used Mahathir’s name without his consent.

Mahathir is scheduled to meet the Agong later this evening to discuss his resignation. – mkini

THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT / MKINI