MIC veep: Nothing wrong with Zahid as PM if he's cleared of charges

The BN candidate for Batu, A Kohilan Pillay, believes there is nothing wrong with Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi being appointed as prime minister in the future if he is cleared of all charges in court.

Kohilan said that, unlike Pakatan Harapan, BN’s main focus is on the 15th general election (GE15), not on the prime ministerial candidate.

“We don’t need to get involved in the game of deciding who is prime minister. Our main objective is to decide on the best government.

“For example, in PKR, many say Anwar Ibrahim is the future prime minister, but what happens if he loses in Tambun? Harapan has no second or third alternative.

“That’s why I say that the voters have to think about which government can bring them the stability the rakyat want,” Kohilan (above) told Malaysiakini.

He said this when asked about the claims from Harapan and Perikatan Nasional (PN) that a vote for BN is a vote for Zahid to become prime minister.

Kohilan, who is also an MIC vice-president, said there are many leaders in BN who are qualified to be appointed as prime minister.

“In BN, we have Ismail Sabri Yaakob as the prime ministerial candidate, as agreed in the Umno supreme council meeting and by BN. We also have Mohamad Hasan and Ahmad Zahid who can also become the prime minister.

“If (Zahid) is freed in his court case later, and if Zahid is unanimously appointed and placed as the (Umno) party president again, then he is the prime minister and it is not wrong.

“Anyway if a prime minister is disliked by the rakyat, there will be another prime minister,” he added.

For the record, Umno has maintained its decision that Ismail Sabri will be prime minister if BN wins GE15.

Zahid, who is also BN chairperson, had previously said that claims he would become prime minister if BN wins are attempts to break up the coalition.

Zahid, 69, faces 47 charges, namely 12 for criminal breach of trust (CBT), eight charges of corruption and 27 charges of money laundering, involving tens of millions of ringgit belonging to Yayasan Akalbudi.

However, Kohilan noted that the power to appoint the prime minister remains the prerogative of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, in line with Article 40(1)(B) of the Federal Constitution.

Political analysts have also said that Ismail Sabri’s position as BN’s “poster boy” is no guarantee that he will be re-appointed as prime minister after GE15.

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