Conspiracy, ultimatum and concession at Harapan's 'last supper'

Battle lines are drawn in Bersatu as its chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad and president Muhyiddin Yassin make their case for their respective favoured coalition - Pakatan Harapan and Perikatan Nasional.

For Mahathir's camp, Muhyiddin's move to take Bersatu out of Harapan and into PN is a story of betrayal while for Muhyiddin's camp, it is a story of impatient partners pushing the party into a corner.

To further the latter's narrative, a Bersatu-linked Facebook page yesterday leaked a more than two-hour-long recording of the Pakatan Harapan last presidential council's last meeting as the government on Feb 21, claiming that it showed Bersatu's partners being "disrespectful" to Mahathir.

To the contrary, the discussion was respectful towards Mahathir, who remained silent for most of the two hours, but heated at times as leaders of the Harapan components argued over whether Mahathir should set a firm date on the transition of power.

While the release of the recording almost three months later may be part of a psywar, it provides an interesting insight into what was on the minds of Harapan leaders, just days before the coalition imploded.

During the meeting, Amanah and DAP pushed for the presidential council to decide whether there should be a firm date for the transition while Bersatu leaders maintained Mahathir shouldn't be pressured and complained about certain Harapan leaders attacking Mahathir in public.

More interestingly was then PKR deputy president Azmin Ali and then vice-president Zuraida Kamaruddin, insisting that Mahathir should serve a full term - a position which was not even advocated by Bersatu leaders in the meeting as they only wanted Mahathir to be allowed to set his own date.

"Tun, you said after Apec (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Conference) and there is no date, might as well make it full term," Zuraida had said.

Azmin and Zuraida would later become instrumental in engineering the collapse of Harapan as they defected to PN.

Based on the recording, it was apparent that Harapan leaders were not completely oblivious to the conspiracy.

A conspiracy

As Bersatu Youth chief Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman spiritedly spoke out against Harapan leaders who have publicly pressed Mahathir to set a timeline, PKR president Anwar Ibrahim revealed that a conspiracy was afoot.

"There are other moves - you may not know - trying to undermine the whole (transition) plan. In fact, the new configuration... a new configuration entertaining PAS and Umno. That is why people are angry.

"But when I asked Tun, he said they came (to see him) but he never gave any approval (for a new configuration). But many, including some in this room tonight claimed Tun agreed," he said.

Anwar said he wanted the presidential council to be firm against such moves.

"You can't say to support Tun and Harapan then engage in betrayal outside - then you expect us to place full loyalty.

"You may not know but I am telling you from what I know. This has to stop," he said.

Anwar also acknowledged that his side had been gathering statutory declaration (SD) which he said was in response to a separate move for the "new configuration".

However, Anwar said the SD his side gathered, unlike the proponents of the "new configuration", endorsed both Mahathir and Anwar as the 7th and 8th prime minister respectively and that the transition should be left to the Harapan presidential council to decide.

Towards the end of the meeting that appeared to be in a stalemate, Anwar then promised to rein in errant PKR members and will state his support for Mahathir in the media.

"I will say to them that it is resolved and express full confidence in Tun's leadership, this is the consensus," he said, although no decision on a transition date appeared forthcoming.

However, Azmin interjected, stating: "I would like to seek clarification, is supporting Tun to serve full term a betrayal to Pakatan Harapan? What is Harapan's understanding?"

This sparked a fresh round of argument before Amanah communications director Khalid Samad finally interjected.

"I think the most important thing about betrayal is bringing in other people like PAS and Umno to form a new coalition. That is the betrayal we're talking about," he said.

"We are not discussing about PAS and Umno's participation," Azmin rebutted.

Tension could also be sensed throughout the meeting as PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution repeatedly took veiled jabs at Azmin by stating that he had never once ponteng (played truant) from party and Harapan meetings, an accusation Anwar's camp had levelled against Azmin as he drifted to the opposing side.

An ultimatum

Khalid (photo) eventually said the matter should be left between Anwar and Mahathir to decide.

Mahathir, who throughout the meeting did not give any opinion on his position as prime minister and at one point suggested that he shouldn't be part of the meeting as he is the subject matter, then asked what are they to tell the press amid the stalemate.

"So we tell the press we are split into two or do we say that we have a consensus?" he said.

Mahathir also reiterated that he will leave after Apec.

But Azmin again interjected and said: "But there is no consensus even after Apec", prompting a noisy chorus of protest that appeared to anger Azmin.

"I know you have something personal against me... I am putting on record that there are many different views, why are you picking on me?" he lashed out.

The argument then continued on for several minutes and Syed Saddiq again made a forceful argument against forcing Mahathir to set a timeline.

Bersatu secretary-general Marzuki Yahya, who was also silent for the most part, finally spoke up, urging the presidential council to leave it to Mahathir to decide on the date of the transition plan.

He also expressed concern that Harapan was losing support and the transition plan was the least of people's concern.

He ended his speech that if the presidential council cannot comply, then Bersatu may make a unilateral decision, resulting in awkward silence.

Amanah president Mohamad Sabu (photo) then broke the silence stating: "If Bersatu makes its own decision, Amanah makes its own decision, DAP makes its own decision, we will break up and be in the opposition again".

He added that they were already accustomed to being in the opposition for a long time.

Khalid then urged the leaders not to make ultimatums.

"We are looking for a consensus. When you give an ultimatum then you are not looking for consensus," he said.

The concession

The argument went on for several more minutes before Anwar interjected.

"Bersatu has made an ultimatum, we need to achieve a consensus. I do not want to make any motion. I leave it to Tun because ultimatums have the risk of leaving to a break-up and I hope other leaders also do not make them.

"I concede, I leave it to Tun," he said.

Mahathir then joked that he may want to stay as prime minister for five terms.

On a serious note, he then said: "Don't fix me to any term. I will decide. If you trust me, I will decide but I don't have to tell you when.

"It may be one day before Parliament is dissolved - it may be, I'm not saying it is, don't quote me. But please don't fix a time, I will decide.

"So if you can't agree (on fixing a date) then you accept my views. Is that okay?" he said.

The leaders then voiced agreement before moving on to administrative matters.

 At a press conference later that night, Anwar and his wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail flanked Mahathir (above) where he announced that Harapan had decided to allow him to decide his own transition timeline. 

However, two days later, Azmin and Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin initiated the "Sheraton Move".

Azmin, who is the Gombak MP, defected with 10 other PKR MPs while Muhyiddin withdrew Bersatu from Harapan.

Together with Umno, PAS, GPS, PBS and STAR, they formed the new PN government.

They initially pushed Mahathir to lead this new coalition but when he refused, turned to Muhyiddin to become the new prime minister.

 - Mkini