ANWAR DROPS FIREBALL ON MUHYIDDIN’S HEAD – 107 MPs ON PAKATAN’S COUNT DOES NOT INCLUDE INDEPENDENTS YET, THE ACTUAL TALLY IS MUCH HIGHER!

INDEPENDENTS were not taken into account in the tally of 107 parliamentarians that Pakatan Harapan has on its side, said the office of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

In a brief statement, it said the figure announced by the Port Dickson MP yesterday also did not include lawmakers who did not attend a special meeting on Tuesday between PH, Parti Warisan Sabah and the Bersatu faction loyal to Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Anwar’s office issued the clarification following questions about the number of MPs on the opposition’s side amid talk that PH and its sympathisers are on the cusp of retaking Putrajaya.

To form the government, a pact or party needs a simple majority of 112 of the 222 seats in Parliament.

Anwar’s office said it received a lot of queries on the matter after he mentioned the number in a Facebook Live session.

“The 107 MPs announced during the Facebook Live session was based on the number of MPs represented by each party present at a special PH meeting on June 9.

“It did not take into account independent MPs or those who did not attend the meeting.”

The “Pakatan Plus” alliance, comprising PH, Warisan and the Dr Mahathir faction in Bersatu, is working to unseat Muhyiddin Yassin’s Perikatan Nasional government.

At the end of February, Muhyiddin took Bersatu out of PH, and teamed up with Umno, PAS and former PKR lawmakers to form PN, with the backing of Gabungan Parti Sarawak. He was sworn in as prime minister on March 1.

At the last Parliament sitting on May 18, PN had the support of 114 MPs.

THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT