`


THERE IS NO GOD EXCEPT ALLAH
read:
MALAYSIA Tanah Tumpah Darahku

LOVE MALAYSIA!!!


 


Sunday, August 16, 2015

Shopping for a PM: Mujahid stands by Anwar

Amidst new talk about Razaleigh, Harapan man and Kit Siang show support for opposition choice
mujahid_lim-kit-siang_anwar_600
KUALA LUMPUR: In the midst of renewed speculation about Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah as a replacement for Najib Razak, a member of the PAS dissident movement Gerakan Harapan Baru has stood by Anwar Ibrahim as the opposition choice to be prime minister after the next general election.
Mujahid Yusof Rawa, the MP for Parit Buntar, a leader of Gerakan Harapan Baru, joined the DAP’s Lim Kit Siang in declaring support for Anwar, who began serving a five-year jail sentence on a sodomy charge in February.
However, despite their public show of support, there has not been any formal endorsement by the political parties of Anwar as the opposition choice for prime minister.
Neither of them have dealt with whether Anwar would even be eligible to contest at the next general election, which must be held by 2018. His jail term runs until 2020. With one-third remission it is possible he could be released by 2019, well after the elections. Even so, he would remain excluded from politics for five years under current election rules.
Neither Mujahid nor Lim spoke of how Anwar would be appointed prime minister even if the opposition parties defeated Barisan Nasional. Instead they made an emotional appeal based on his past and his capabilities.
Mujahid’s support for Anwar was given in an interview with Malay Mail Online. Another member of Gerakan Harapan Baru, Dzulkefly Ahmad, had also said that Anwar could still inspire the public even while imprisoned. Both men spoke highly of Anwar’s appeal as a leader across communal and social lines, with Dzulkefly comparing him to Nelson Mandela.
However, although Anwar was the declared leader of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition of DAP, PAS and PKR, his candidacy for the prime ministership was challenged by PAS who declared support for their president, Abdul Hadi Awang, against DAP and PKR.
The Pakatan Rakyat has since fallen apart from disagreements between DAP and PAS. The PAS dissidents in Gerakan Harapan Baru hope to form a new alliance with the DAP and PKR for the elections.
In the meantime, Kit Siang has attempted to put together a coalition of Barisan Nasional and opposition MPs in order to unseat Najib Razak through a confidence motion. He expressed willingness to support Dr Mahathir Mohamad in forming such a grand coalition, and later also put forward the name of Mahathir’s former deputy, Musa Hitam, as a possible caretaker prime minister.
If Musa was unwilling, Lim fell back on Umno elder Tengku Razaleigh, who together with Musa came narrowly close to ousting Mahathir as Umno president in 1987.
Razaleigh’s name cropped up again in recent weeks, the latest on Wednesday when Asia Sentinel reported on a meeting between Mahathir and Razaleigh, which the Kelantan prince confirmed on Saturday.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.