KUALA LUMPUR: Gerakan vice-president Datuk A. Kohilan Pillay has questioned PKR vice-president Prof Dr Shaharuddin Badaruddin for allegedly breaking ranks with party colleagues over Pakatan Harapan’s consensus on prime minister candidate.
Shaharuddin was reportedly suggesting that the party with the most seats in the opposition bloc to decide who should be the PM if they win the next general election.
Kohilan pointed out that such an idea was not even adopted by Pakatan Harapan in the appointment of opposition leader.
He chided that despite DAP holding the highest number of seats in the opposition bloc with 36 seats and PKR with only 28 seats, PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah was named the opposition leader.
Kohilan stressed that the decision went unchallenged, uncorrected and even supported by DAP leaders.
“Shaharuddin himself was being contradictory and ignorant to the wrong practice of the opposition bloc.
“They have rejected the same idea of majority rule in the appointment of opposition leader, it is not wise to expect them to practice the same on the naming of Prime Minister if they win in the GE,” said Kohilan.
Kohilan further said that Pakatan Harapan can never have a ‘permanent PM’, not until jailed leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim assumes the position ‘specially reserved for him’ by most of his colleagues.
He criticised the idea of having an ‘interim PM’ admitted by Wan Azizah and supported by DAP as an ‘interim PM’ was not just unrealistic, but also another ‘political hijacking’ in the fashion of the Kajang Move 2.0 jeopardising the nation’s stability, prosperity and growth.
“Did Shaharuddin challenge Pakatan Harapan’s consensus to name Anwar as PM, there is no merit to these self-serving debates as the opposition’s preferred prime minister is either ‘interim’ or ‘unqualified’.
“They should first address the tonnes of issues in their own backyard." said Kohilan.