PM, DPM posts no small matter, BN minister tells Zaid

Whoever the opposition nominates to these two top positions will affect the lives of all Malaysians, says Abdul Rahman Dahlan.

PETALING JAYA: Asking for Pakatan Harapan (PH) to name its candidates for the country’s two top posts should not be seen as an effort to “trap” the opposition, a BN leader said.

“This is not a ‘trap’ question. This is an important and pertinent question,” said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Abdul Rahman Dahlan.

“If they don’t have a consensus now, it might lead to political instability which will affect the economy and the welfare of the people.”

Rahman’s statement to FMT came following an allegation by Zaid Ibrahim, who in a blog post today, said BN was only trying to “trap” PH by raising the issue of who they planned to make the country’s prime minister and deputy prime minister if they came into power after the next general election.

Zaid, who was the former de facto law minister, also claimed that the only reason BN played up the issue was because it wanted to hide the fact that it has nothing to offer the public.

Rahman, who is in charge of the Economic Planning Unit, said Zaid was probably the “blindest person” in the country for claiming so.

“All our economic programmes are well documented. All our educational programmes are known to the public. All our social programmes have an impact on the people.

“I hope he understands that whoever the opposition nominates as PM and his deputy is important to the people.

“Decisions made by those sitting in the two highest government positions in the land will definitely affect their lives.”

Tourism and Culture Minister Nazri Aziz, on the other hand, chose not to comment on Zaid, who he termed as “unimportant”.

“He’s a political frog who is a champion at jumping (from one political party to another).”

In his blog post, Zaid had said that after the opposition wins in the next general election, the leaders of Pakatan Harapan and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) would come together with key leaders from Sabah and Sarawak to decide on the DPM matter.

“If the people of this country, in particular the Malays, consider the candidate to be suitable and acceptable, then the answer will be ‘yes’.

“Otherwise, it will be rejected. There is no need to make a fuss and indulge in all sorts of speculation (now),” he said.

Zaid was commenting on the recent controversy that followed a meeting between PPBM chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad and DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang. It was said that Lim had asked for the DPM post at the meeting.

This was denied by the Pakatan Harapan component party, but Prime Minister Najib Razak said it showed that DAP would lead in any Pakatan Harapan government.

The stakes were raised when the PM’s private secretary Tengku Sariffuddin Ahmad challenged Lim to publicly declare that he did not want the post if Pakatan won GE14 and to make a statutory declaration on the matter.

However, Zaid said such tactics didn’t deserve a response at all. -FMT