Harapan future dim, better for Anwar to quit and back Muhyiddin - PAS veep

PAS vice-president Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah has suggested that PKR president Anwar Ibrahim abandon Pakatan Harapan and instead back Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin who is leading the Perikatan Nasional coalition.

Mohd Amar claimed this was because Harapan appeared to have a dim future and Anwar was unlikely to become the prime minister under the opposition coalition.

"Harapan does not have a future, they can't even solve the issue of their prime ministerial candidate as there are now two to three names, what more if it is to form the government.

"So, I hope Anwar will take my advice and leave Harapan. Give his moral support to Muhyiddin instead as Harapan does not accept him anymore," he told a press conference in Kota Bharu today.

Mohd Amar said Anwar remaining in Harapan did not bode well for him (Anwar).

"If Anwar remains in Harapan and still wants to become prime minister, all there is left is only hope," he said.

Mohd Amar said Anwar leaving Harapan to back Muhyiddin would show his qualities as a statesperson.

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's proposal for Warisan president Shafie Apdal to become prime minister was a subtle way of saying he could not accept Anwar (as prime minister), he added.

"Even if Harapan did decide on a prime ministerial candidate, there was no guarantee that they could win (back federal power)," he said.

On June 27, Mahathir revealed that he had met with Amanah, DAP and Warisan leaders on June 25 for an informal meeting.

During the meeting, a proposal was made to nominate Shafie as the Harapan prime ministerial candidate while Anwar and Mahathir's son, disputed Bersatu deputy president Mukhriz Mahathir, would be deputy prime minister candidates.

Meanwhile, Mahathir would drop out of the race to become the prime ministerial candidate.

This was to break an impasse between Mahathir and Anwar over who should become prime minister if Harapan was able to regain power.

While PKR was absent at the informal meeting, Mahathir said the leaders present unanimously agreed to the proposal.

However, DAP and Amanah have said they still need to discuss the matter internally and bring it to the Harapan presidential council.

Mahathir's Harapan government, which came to power in the 2018 general election, collapsed in late February after Bersatu president Muhyiddin pulled the party out of the coalition government.

Muhyiddin was sworn in as the new prime minister on March 1 after Mahathir refused to lead the new coalition the former put together comprising Bersatu, PKR defectors, BN, PAS, GPS, PBS and STAR.

Mahathir has been planning a counter-coup against Muhyiddin who has a three-seat majority in the Dewan Rakyat.

Apart from trying to break the impasse, the proposal to make Shafie the prime ministerial candidate for Harapan and its allies also appeared to be an attempt to attract support from the East Malaysia bloc which would be instrumental to forming a majority in the Dewan Rakyat.

PKR has been opposed to Mahathir's third bid as prime minister and wants party president Anwar instead.

PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution said his party was ready to revisit the issue of Harapan's prime ministerial candidate in light of the new proposal.

However, he also advised caution against efforts to split the coalition.

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