Dr M: PPBM’s proposal for top Pakatan posts just haggling
The PPBM chairman denies that the party is trying to dominate Pakatan Harapan by wanting the posts of president and chairman to be occupied by its own leaders.
The former prime minister said it was just the art of haggling.
“(There is) no monopoly. It’s like selling things. First you ask for a high price, then you argue (about it), then you decide,” he told reporters at an event here today.
PPBM president Muhyiddin Yassin, who was also present, said the proposal was made based on what PPBM believed would be helpful for the coalition.
“Naming one or two individuals doesn’t mean we want to monopolise. We practise the concept of equality.
“So the claim (that PPBM seeks to dominate), to me, is wrong,” he said.
Malay Mail Online last month cited a PH leader as saying that PPBM’s proposal for the opposition pact’s official presidential council line-up had named Mahathir and Muhyiddin as chairman and president, with PKR’s Anwar Ibrahim as adviser.
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng rejected this possibility, saying such an arrangement would see PPBM monopolising the coalition.
PPBM officially joined PH in March this year. The original component parties are PKR, DAP and Amanah.
Agreement on the PH leadership line-up by the four parties is crucial to enable the coalition to seek registration as an official pact under one logo by the Registrar of Societies (RoS).
On June 23, PPBM information chief Kamarudin Md Nor said the proposal was submitted at PH’s meeting on June 9, and that PPBM was willing to accept any decision if agreed on unanimously by all the parties.
He said Muhyiddin would strengthen the PH leadership as its president in preparing for the 14th general election (GE14) due to his wide experience in leading election campaigns.
“PPBM is prepared to compromise on the post of PH president in the spirit of consensus,” he added.
On June 17, PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim said PH needed to keep alive its tradition of consultation and consensus among all components as was done in Pakatan Rakyat before it was terminated in June 2015.
“All party leaders have the same standing and the chairman is only a coordinator,” Anwar said.
“All meeting preparations and agendas are implemented by the joint secretariat represented by all parties,” he added.
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