BOMBSHELL – MAHATHIR TO ANNOUNCE MAJOR CABINET RESHUFFLE? AMID A HAIL OF PUBLIC CONDEMNATION, ‘SELFISH’ MAHATHIR THROWS NEW CARROT TO OFFSET MOUNTING VOTER ANGER AT HIS SUSPICIOUS REFUSAL TO SET CLEAR HANDOVER DATE?

PETALING JAYA: Top Pakatan Harapan leaders are likely to discuss a Cabinet reshuffle in a meeting expected to be held tonight, according to two leaders of the coalition who asked to remain unnamed.

“The topic of a Cabinet reshuffle is on the table,” one of them told FMT.

They said the meeting, a prelude to a presidential council session, would be attended by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, PPBM president Muhyiddin Yassin, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu and Mahathir’s deputy, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

The attendance of Wan Azizah, who is not a member of the presidential council, is an indication that the subject of a Cabinet reshuffle may be raised.

The sources said Mahathir had invited her to the meeting.

“Of course, Mahathir can legally reshuffle the Cabinet without telling anyone, but he may in principle ask for their agreement,” said one of them.

He also said the meeting might discuss a plan for the transfer of power from Mahathir to Anwar if any of the attendees were to raise the subject. However, it was not on the agenda, he said.

The other source said Mahathir might postpone discussions on the power transfer to a later date.

Both said it was Mahathir who proposed the meeting, adding that this might have been because he felt the need to strengthen his Cabinet and to inform the other leaders of his plans.

The subject of a Cabinet reshuffle has been in the air for several months and speculation has been running rife since Jan 2, when Maszlee Malik quit his post as education minister. FREE MALAYSIA TODAY

PH meeting to discuss handover and fix a date

PETALING JAYA, Feb 20 (Sin Chew Daily) — The Pakatan Harapan presidential council meeting tomorrow will talk about the handover issue and fix a date.

A PKR insider told Sin Chew Daily the party’s political bureau meeting last night had authorized party president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to raise the issue of handover at tomorrow’s PH presidential council meeting.

“We strongly demand a specific date. PKR’s position is that the handover should be in November or December. Next year will not be an option!

“It should not be delayed further to next year as the party has stretched its tolerance to a limit, from May to end of this year.

“Moreover, uncertainties surrounding the country’s economy and the COVID-19 outbreak put a lot of pressure on us. We need to have a clear direction to run the country and lead the nation and people continuously forward.”

From what we understand, deputy president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali was absent from yesterday’s meeting. Only one pro-Azmin leader was present but he remained silent throughout this matter. – MYSINCHEW

FREE MALAYSIA TODAY / MYSINCHEW