Growing support for third PM candidate in Harapan Plus
As Pakatan Harapan and its allies are stuck with an impasse over the choice between Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Anwar Ibrahim, increasingly another name has popped up as an option for the opposition coalition’s prime minister candidate.
Shafie Apdal, who is the president of Sabah ruling party Warisan, has recently become the talk among top political circles as the potential face for Harapan Plus in their bid to retake Putrajaya from the ruling Perikatan Nasional (PN).
According to sources, the Sabah chief minister might be the next best option as repeated attempts for Anwar and Mahathir to come to an agreement reached a dead end...
As Pakatan Harapan and its allies are stuck with an impasse over the choice between Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Anwar Ibrahim, increasingly another name has popped up as an option for the opposition coalition’s prime minister candidate.
Shafie Apdal, who is the president of Sabah ruling party Warisan, has recently become the talk among top political circles as the potential face for Harapan Plus in their bid to retake Putrajaya from the ruling Perikatan Nasional (PN).
According to sources, the Sabah chief minister might be the next best option as repeated attempts for Anwar and Mahathir to come to an agreement reached a dead end.
To add to the speculations, Shafie's party was also seen starting to openly sell the idea of an easterner becoming the country's prime minister for the first time.
"Sabah, Sarawak as equal partners in the formation of Malaysia is no less than the Peninsular. We are not second class. We are on the same level,” Warisan vice-president Junz Wong posted on Facebook last night.
"Even the aspiration to see a Sabahan or Sarawakian leading the nation as a prime minister in the future is not something that is impossible."
While he did not name anyone, Junz’s preferred choice is clear – his statement is accompanied by a photo of Shafie.
Several hours earlier, Shafie's deputy in the party, Darell Leiking, also uploaded similar remarks on his Facebook account.
Leiking said any leader from Borneo who is acceptable to the federation can helm the top executive post.
"Many may disagree for their own reasons but as someone predicted years ago that to correct the Federation of Malaysia, anyone acceptable to the Federation and coming from Borneo (Sabah & Sarawak) can equally lead the Federation as a PM.
"Why not right? 57 Years in the Making!" Leiking said, referring to the number of years Sabah had been in the Malaysian federation.
Harapan took over Putrajaya when it won the 14th general election in May 2018 – the first time the country saw a change of government since Independence - but it was unable to hold on to power for long.
A political coup dubbed as the Sheraton Move in February this year put an end to Harapan’s 22-month rule.
Bersatu, led by its president Muhyiddin Yassin, left the coalition to form an alliance with opposition parties, Umno and PAS. Muhyiddin also took along 11 MPs who defected from PKR.
Harapan leaders and Mahathir – whose position as Bersatu chairperson is in limbo as he is at odds with Muhyiddin who had since sacked him from the party - had numerous times claimed that they have enough MPs to launch a counter-coup.
However, Harapan Plus could not come to an agreement on their candidate for the prime minister post. Warisan, which is part of Harapan Plus, has insisted on Mahathir taking prime minister post first before handing it over to Anwar.
Mahathir raises Shafie's name
Meanwhile, it is believed that Mahathir has offered Shafie to fill the role in order to break the impasse and fulfil his 20-year mission to deny Anwar the prime minister post.
Sources said that the Langkawi MP had mentioned the idea at a closed-door assembly with a small group of Bersatu members in Putrajaya yesterday.
"Tun (Mahathir) told party members that Shafie would be PH candidate for PM if the general election is called," a source close to the former prime minister said.
According to the source, Mahathir has mooted the proposal to his allies in DAP and Amanah.
During the meet, Mahathir also purportedly told his supporters that he was willing to forgo the prime minister post – a position which he had held twice.
It is learned that some 30 grassroots members of Bersatu were present at the meeting. An aide to Mahathir said the session was something that the nonagenarian organises from time to time to touch base with ordinary party members.
However, it is unsure whether Anwar and his party, PKR, would agree to the idea.
"If they do not agree, then we have to go against each other in the election," one Bersatu source said.
Another source pointed to an interview that Mahathir had with a Chinese daily last week where he threatened to end ties with PKR.
"Tun has made it clear," he said, adding "we will just work with Amanah and DAP then."
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