MAHATHIR GOES TO SEE AGONG WITH DECLARATIONS OF SUPPORT FROM MPs? MAYBE SOON BUT NOT YET – WHY SHOULD PAKATAN ESPECIALLY ANWAR TRUST HIM UNLESS PROPER SUCCESSION IS DETAILED IN BLACK & WHITE – OR THE 94-YEAR-OLD WILL LEAVE MALAYSIA, ALREADY FACING ITS DARKEST UNCERTAIN TIMES, IN THE LURCH AGAIN

An aide to Dr Mahathir Mohamad has dismissed rumours of a purported audience today between the former premier and Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah.

When contacted, the aide said Mahathir had spent the day at his office at the Perdana Leadership Foundation in Putrajaya.

“No, he is in office,” the aide told Malaysiakini in a brief text message, adding that the former premier had taken part in a live Facebook interview just earlier this afternoon.

Speculation around the purported audience was partly fueled by various social media postings that had made their rounds since last night.

Pro-Harapan blogger Shahbudin Husin posted an article that indicated Pakatan Harapan had once again obtained enough support from members of parliament to take over the government from Perikatan Nasional.

His posting was later picked up by PN observers and Harapan critics who described the speculations as mere “psychological warfare”.

Responding to blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin, Shahbudin denied that he had cited an exact figure of 129 MPs in support of Mahathir to return as prime minister.

“At this point, I don’t dare to confirm if the 129 figure is accurate or otherwise, but having enough numbers is correct […],” said Shahbudin.

The PN government currently holds a slim two-seat majority in Parliament with 114 MPs to Harapan’s 107 MPs and one independent.

In the immediate aftermath of the Sheraton Move which saw the downfall of Harapan, Mahathir had announced plans to mount a vote of no-confidence against Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin in Parliament.

He later conceded that he longer had the numbers needed to push for Muhyiddin’s ouster.

The plan, however, appears to be on track with Dewan Rakyat Speaker Mohamad Ariff Mohd Yusof accepting a proposal for a motion of no-confidence against Muhyiddin ahead of Dewan Rakyat sitting on May 18.

The one-day sitting which then cut short to only feature the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s royal address.

In his address, the King had urged MPs not to drag the country into another round of political uncertainty at a time when the people are facing hardship as a result of the (Covid-19) pandemic.

Transition of power should be done ‘as was promised’, says PKR reps

Amid speculation that Pakatan Harapan has rallied enough support from MPs to topple the Perikatan Nasional-led government, parliamentarians from PKR said the leadership transition should be done “as promised”.

Although they did not elaborate, this may allude to former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s promise to hand over the reins of power to PKR president Anwar Ibrahim this year.

In a joint statement signed by PKR whip Johari Abdul (above), the 39 MPs said they are aware of negotiations underway between various parties to “restore the people’s mandate to its rightful place as soon as possible” referring to Harapan’s victory at the 14th general election.

“This is not a competition between political elites to seize power but is instead to bring forth the true reformasi agenda that cares about the people.

“Any transition of power should take place in a manner that has been promised, peaceful and orderly, and in line with the law,” he said.

He said this was among the matters discussed between the 39 PKR parliamentarians during an online meeting today.

Earlier, it was rumoured that Harapan and Warisan has rallied 129 MPs on their side out of 222 MPs in the Dewan Rakyat thus challenging PN’s legitimacy to rule

Senior Minister (Economic Cluster) Azmin Ali said he is in the dark on the matter, but warned against dragging the country into another round of political crisis.

For the record, during the Dewan Rakyat sitting on May 18, the house’s seating arrangement revealed that Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has 114 MPs on his side – a majority of just two seats.

Meanwhile, the PKR lawmakers said they had also discussed boosting efforts to come up with policies that would benefit the people, as well as the need to strengthen reforms both within and outside Parliament.

They also highlighted the need to review efforts made thus far to ensure promises made in the past are delivered and mistakes not repeated.

“PKR parliamentarians are reminded to prioritise the people’s welfare, especially those affected by Covid-19 including those who lost their jobs and income where a comprehensive effort is required,” he said.

MKINI