Pakatan Harapan leaders at the presidential council meeting this morning did not object when Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad revealed he wanted the education minister portfolio due to a misunderstanding over the coalition's manifesto.

"When Tun (Mahathir) announced he will be taking the Education Ministry portfolio, no one objected.

"Everyone in the meeting was like, 'Oh, okay.' We thought that he should not be holding the finance portfolio simultaneously as a prime minister," a PKR source told Malaysiakini.

Contacted later, Amanah deputy president Salahuddin Ayub, who was present during the meeting, confirmed this.

"This (the manifesto promise) was not raised during the meeting," he said.

Sources from PKR and DAP also told Malaysiakini this is what transpired during the meeting.

Harapan's presidential council consists of five representatives from each component party -PKR, DAP, Bersatu and Amamah.

Mahathir's announcement this afternoon that he would helm the education portfolio contradicted Harapan's manifesto.

This was in reference to “Promise 12: Limit the Prime Minister's term of office and restructure the Prime Minister's Department.”

On this matter, the manifesto stated: “The prime minister will not simultaneously hold other ministerial posts, especially the post of minister of finance.”

DAP's Iskandar Puteri MP Lim Kit Siang also tweeted: "Confess I am stumped myself. Apart from PM cannot be FM, not aware that PH manifesto proposed PM cannot hold another portfolio," referring to the prime minister, finance minister and Pakatan Harapan, respectively.

PKR Youth wing secretary-general Chang Lih Kang also wrote on his Facebook that Mahathir should not hold any other ministerial posts as it is clearly stated in the Harapan manifesto.

"If PH (Harapan)/Mahathir break promises so early, no one will believe in them anymore," he wrote. 

Meanwhile, Salahuddin said Harapan leaders would raise this issue with Mahathir.

"If the wording of the manifesto is such, we will remind Mahathir of this," added the Pulai MP.

This discrepancy was highlighted by BN leaders from Gerakan Youth and MCA.

Thus far, five cabinet posts have been filled by Mahathir while another eight would be filled later.

Mahathir said the eight remaining portfolios would be filled by two members from Bersatu, DAP, PKR, and Amanah.