Harapan still intact, just have different opinions, says PKR sec-gen
PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution stressed that Pakatan Harapan was still intact despite having different opinions on a prime minister candidate.
In an interview with Chinese daily Kwong Wah, Saifuddin said there were no changes in the relationship between PKR, DAP, and Amanah.
This was despite the two latter parties...
PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail stressed that Pakatan Harapan was still intact despite having different opinions on a prime minister candidate.
In an interview with Chinese daily Kwong Wah, Saifuddin (above) said there were no changes in the relationship between PKR, DAP, and Amanah.
This was despite the two latter parties supporting Dr Mahathir Mohamad as the prime minister candidate, while PKR stood firm with its decision for its president Anwar Ibrahim to helm the country.
"Only two days ago I had lunch with (DAP's) Anthony Loke and Liew Chin Tong. I also welcomed (Amanah's) Khalid Samad and Hatta Ramli," he said.
The Kulim Bandar Baharu MP said both parties chose to remain in Harapan, adding, "It's just that there's a different opinion on a prime minister candidate."
However, Saifuddin queried DAP and Amanah's decision to support Mahathir if it turned out Anwar could not garner enough support.
"The question is, does Tun (Mahathir) have enough numbers?" he asked.
Mahathir, in a recent interview with Sin Chew, said he would continue to work with DAP and Amanah as they back him as prime minister. The nonagenarian said he would not work with Anwar who rejected him as the main candidate.
When Saifuddin was asked about the relationship between Mahathir and Anwar, he said PKR was open and ready to engage with anyone in the future.
The party, he said, had proved its openness which was evident by accepting Bersatu into the Harapan coalition before the 14th general election despite Mahathir and Anwar being on bad terms for about two decades.
"In a democracy, which is based on a game of numbers, we must be ready to engage with everyone, but we must also move on a clear principle.
"We believe that PKR alone doesn't have enough numbers to form a government," he conceded.
On the dispute concerning the prime minister candidate, Saifuddin said it was in Mahathir's DNA to believe that the prime minister must be someone who leads a Malay-based party.
"In a meeting on June 9, Mahathir said the prime minister must be a Malay and someone who leads a Malay party. So he said that he cannot accept Anwar as the latter leads a multiracial party.
"To me, that's not just a mere statement, (the belief) is in his DNA," Saifuddin said.
He said Mahathir's statement was one of the reasons they rejected his candidacy.
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