PAKATAN Harapan has denied issuing a statement purportedly by its secretariat stating the coalition’s support of Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad in the wake of criticism against him over the pace of reforms.
“With regards to a statement by the PH secretariat that was shared today, I wish to state that it is not valid. As of now, no statement has been issued,” PH secretary-general Saifuddin Abdullah said in a statement.
The unvalidated statement, which was published by The Star and Malay daily Sinar Harian, has been retracted from their websites.
The statement, which was purportedly sent by the PH secretariat team, had said that all four component parties backed Dr Mahathir to remain as coalition chairman.
It also advised PH politicians to be careful when making statements.
The unverified statement was publicised following PKR lawmaker Nurul Izzah Anwar’s resignation from her post as a Public Accounts Committee member, and her subsequent interview with Singapore newspaper The Sunday Times, in which she said she had found it hard working with Dr Mahathir.
In the interview, she also described him as a “former dictator who wreaked so much damage” on the system and on her family’s personal life, in reference to Dr Mahathir’s sacking of her father Anwar Ibrahim 20 years when both men were in government.
Nurul Izzah’s resignation from her PAC post followed her earlier protests against Dr Mahathir’s announcement that PAC chairman Ronald Kiandee could continue leading the parliamentary committee even after quitting Umno to join a government party.
Nurul Izzah had been among others who tweeted their disagreement with the decision, which breaks PH’s election promise to have a member of the opposition as the PAC chief.
Her resignation from the PAC has sparked tweets by PKR politicians from opposing camps and exposed the party’s latent cracks.
THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT
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