MAHATHIR KEEPS UP THE SUSPENSE – STAYS MUM AFTER 4-HOUR TOP MEETING AT PKR HQ – EVEN AS SHAFIE, REPORTEDLY GUNNING TO BE DPM CANDIDATE, SAYS ‘VERY POSITIVE’ DECISION TO BE OUT IN A WEEK LATER

KUALA LUMPUR— Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has left PKR headquarters after an almost four hour meeting with leaders from PKR, DAP and Parti Amanah Negara today.Dr Mahathir was whisked away by his aides as he was mobbed by members of the press eager to know what transpired in the four-hour meeting.

The disputed Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) chairman did not say anything, and merely waved at the press before leaving with his entourage.

PKR communications director Fahmi Fadzil said an official statement on the meeting will be issued later.

Also present at the meeting were DAP MPs Lim Kit Siang and Lim Guan Eng, PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, as well as former minister Khalid Abdul Samad from Parti Amanah Negaram as well as Bersatu’s ousted secretary-general Datuk Marzuki Yahya.

Before today’s meeting, several party insiders had pointed out that Opposition Leader Anwar did not attend the meetings involving leaders of PH parties and allied parties dubbed “Pakatan Plus”. -MALAY MAIL

Pakatan says meeting with Dr Mahathir, Shafie ‘very positive’, decision to be made in a week

KUALA LUMPUR — An impromptu meeting between leaders of Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) component parties with Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia and Parti Warisan Sabah today showed a “very positive” progress, the pact said today.

In a joint statement, the parties said any decision coming from the meeting will be finalised in the coming week.

“Today’s meeting saw a holistic discussion about each party’s stand, and showed a very positive progress.

“The process to finalise all decisions will be done in the period of this week,” it said.

The statement was jointly signed by PKR president and Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, Parti Amanah Negara president Mohamad Sabu, Bersatu’s disputed chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, and Warisan president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal.

PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim leaves the party’s headquarters following a four-hour meeting with other Pakatan leaders, in Petaling Jaya June 9, 2020. — Picture by Hari Anggara

In a separate statement, PKR communications director Fahmi Fadzil said the meeting was chaired by Anwar, and was held to ascertain each party leaders’ sentiments at a time when the PH coalition is on the brink of collapse.

“The meeting was to go into detail each party’s stand currently, and the meeting was received positively by all,” Fahmi said in a statement.

It has been rumoured that Pakatan Plus — a moniker for a loose coalition that includes PH, the faction of former component Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia now led by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, and Warisan — has managed to gain the upper hand in the Dewan Rakyat, barely a few months after they lost power during the February political crisis.

However, there are still disputes within the coalition over its prime minister candidate, with both Dr Mahathir and Anwar’s camps said to still be at loggerheads over the matter.

Before today’s meeting, several party insiders had pointed out that Opposition Leader Anwar did not attend the meetings involving leaders of PH parties and allied parties. MALAY MAIL

MALAY MAIL