Umno defections won't derail plan to make Anwar next PM - Kit Siang

INTERVIEW | The recent spate of defections from Umno will not derail Pakatan Harapan's plans to make PKR president Anwar Ibrahim's the next prime minister, said his long-time ally Lim Kit Siang.

Prior to the 14th general election (GE14), Harapan component parties arrived at a consensus that Anwar would replace Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad mid-term, estimated to be in 2020 or 2021. No firm handover date was set.

However, in recent days, Umno has been haemorrhaging. Eleven MPs have left Umno over the past 48 hours, bringing the total number of defectors to 16. Three who left Umno earlier have since been absorbed into Bersatu and the rest are expected to follow in time.

With Bersatu growing in strength, it could potentially change the dynamics within Harapan.

For Lim, who was once the prime target of many allegations by these former Umno lawmakers, he chose to believe that Harapan's agreement on Anwar's ascension cannot be reneged.

"There are going to be a lot of articles and conspiracy theories about conflicts (within Harapan), contradictions and that things will go wrong, but we don't know (what will happen).

"I think it's important we have a positive mindset. This (transition) is what we agreed upon and it will come along," the DAP veteran told Malaysiakini in an interview yesterday at the party headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

"I think whatever the change of numbers, effectively I don't think it should affect the plan,lah,” he added, shrugging.

Mahathir had repeatedly stated that the condition for Umno lawmakers to join Bersatu was to quit their party and serve as an independent MP while their membership was being assessed.

Some DAP leaders have warned that this may leave Harapan open to criticism by voters who were against BN and also left Bersatu open to a reverse takeover.

Mahathir has repeatedly assured that he will honour the succession plan but also said that he will serve as PM "for as long as they (the people) want me".

Anwar, meanwhile, has declared his support for Mahathir’s leadership and stated he was in "no rush" to be the eighth PM.

Work with Anwar to reform Malaysia

Lim, who has been a politician for five decades, was recently appointed as Anwar's deputy on the parliamentary caucus on reforms and governance committee.

The Iskandar Puteri MP said that the 12 caucus members had yet to meet to decide the scope of its focus, but expressed that it would go beyond reforming just the Dewan Rakyat.

"It is going to (cover) a very big scope, about the need for institutions and the country to be reformed and for governance (to be reformed).

"So that Malaysia, when we re-set nation-building policies, (we) can contribute towards it," he said.

Among the parliamentary and institutional reforms listed in Harapan's GE14 manifestoare to limit the prime minister to a two-term tenure, separate the Attorney-General’s Chambers from the Public Prosecutor’s Office as well as to make the MACC and the Election Commission accountable to Parliament.

It also promised to table the Political Financing Control Act, make local councils more accountable to local communities, ensure civil servants were not influenced by party politics and to restore the Parliamentary Services Act 1963. - Mkini