DAP organising secretary Anthony Loke has shot down the possibility of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) having the leadership reins in Pakatan Harapan.

Malaysians would not support Harapan, Loke said, if its parties no longer operate on an equal platform, which sets the coalition apart from BN.

“Malaysians do not want to see another Umno taking shape,” the Seremban MP told reporters in Parliament building this afternoon.

Over the weekend, Muhyiddin said Bersatu was looking to propose a Malay-based coalition in which Bersatu would be among the main parties to champion the party's struggles in the coalition.

“It must be a Malay-led government.

“I am mentioning this here not because I want to favour anyone but because I know the majority of the rakyat are Malays,” Muhyiddin said, adding that the rights of non-Malays would be safeguarded as well.

The former Umno number two and former deputy prime minister also suggested that Harapan changes its name to 'Barisan Rakyat'.

Loke said there is no such thing as a “big brother or younger brother” in Harapan as the component parties are of equal strength.

“We don't have a single party that is dominant in Harapan. That is the difference between Harapan and BN.

“Everyone knows that Umno is the dominant party in BN, and Harapan has no intention of emulating the BN approach

“If we use the BN approach and make any of the parties (in Harapan) dominant, it would not garner support from Malaysians,” Loke added.

Previously, Bersatu chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad urged the opposition to take a leaf out of BN's playbook, with regard to being unified during elections.

Mahathir also recommended that Harapan changes its name, as well as creates a new logo and manifesto.