Voters will not take Pakatan Harapan seriously and render the coalition a “laughing stock” should it field an interim prime minister, predicts political analyst James Chin.

Seeing that it is highly unlikely for de facto opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s to be released from prison in time for the 14th general election (GE14), Harapan chairperson and former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad has been highly touted as a premier candidate, albeit interim.

This will be a mistake, Chin told Malaysiakini.

“If (Harapan) campaign with an interim PM, they will be a laughing stock.

“Voters will not take you seriously. If you say interim, who are you actually voting for?“The person you nominate must be PM or nothing,” said the academic, who is presently attached to the University of Tasmania as director of its Asia Institute...