JERANTUT: Three Malay representatives holding the highest posts in Pakatan Harapan's leadership structure shows nothing but the opposition's desperation to secure the Malay votes.
Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin said the move was part of the opposition's strategy to show off that they have representatives from the Malay community, realising that the (Malay) votes were crucial to get a mandate to run the country.
Describing it a mere tactical move, Khairy said it was a known fact that DAP has the most number of seats in the opposition pact.
"The people should not be duped by such tactical move as I am sure DAP, with the most number of seats, will decide on the policies. Everyone in Parliament (members of parliament) know who has the most number of seats in the opposition pact," he said.
He was speaking to reporters after opening the Jerantut Umno division Wanita, Puteri and Youth meeting at the district council hall here today.
On Thursday, Pakatan Harapan named Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as the pact's de facto leader and chairman respectively while Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail was picked as the president.
Meanwhile, Khairy said he expects trouble within Pakatan Harapan because DAP, with its highest number of lawmakers, was not included in the top leadership.
"Judging by today's situation, DAP has a bigger say in the opposition pact as it holds the majority number of seats in Parliament and their absence in the top leadership is going to cause disarray.
"I have never seen or read about any party with a de factor leader, chairman and president...what is the differences between the three posts and who will have the final say?" he said.
On Dr Mahathir admitting the plot to depose Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak since 2014, Khairy said the revelation shows that the decision to sack Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin in 2016 was timely.
"This clearly shows that the move to sack Mukhriz and Muhyiddin, and Dr Mahathir leaving Umno are correct. We do not need 'gunting dalam lipatan' (enemies from within).
"This confirms that whatever we have been talking all this while," he said, referring to a statement by Dr Mahathir that he has been trying to topple Najib since 2014.
The statement was part of testimony provided by Dr Mahathir during yesterday's Kuala Lumpur High Court hearing of his son Datuk Seri Mukhriz's defamation suit against the Prime Minister's press secretary, Datuk Seri Tengku Sharifuddin Tengku Ahmad.
keywords: Pakatan Harapan, Khairy Jamaluddin, tactical move, mandate, Barisan Nasional, leadership line-up