Mahathir denies that a new coalition, without DAP, is in the making

Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad denied that he has any knowledge of Umno members who are pushing for a new coalition to take power in Malaysia. Rumours have it the new coalition will be without the Chinese-backed Democratic Action Party and the Islamist-splinter group Amanah.

Dr Mahathir only responded with they can ‘try’ to do so when asked by the media on the rumours about a new coalition being negotiated by ex-PM Najib Razak’s cousin, MP Hishammuddin Hussein who was minister of defence in the last Barisan Nasional government.

“They can try,” he told journalists after attending a poverty eradication event in Kuala Lumpur, adding that he never met Hishammuddin to discuss any such efforts.

“No, there was never a meeting (on the matter),” he said.

Hishammuddin met with Dr Mahathir along with Justice Party deputy president Mohamd Azmin Ali, Islamic Party PAS vice-president Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar and the party’s secretary general Takiyuddin Hassan.

But Dr Mahathir dismissed the meeting as a normal meeting between politicians saying it was nothing new and that he meets everyone.

The DAP has reacted to the media on the supposed new alliance in making, warning those defeated in the last general election not to use the backdoor to regain power.

The party’s organising secretary Anthony Loke, who is also the Minister of Transport, said the mandate given to Pakatan Harapan in the last general election must be respected and the Pakatan Harapan will fulfil its mandate until it expires.

In a statement jointly signed by the Pakatan Harapan secretary-general Saifuddin Abdullah, Justice Party secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution, Bersatu secretary-general Marzuki Yahya, Amanah secretary-general Anuar Tahir and DAP national organising general Anthony Loke, the coalition urged the Umno MP to stop their campaign to promote the idea of a new coalition.

“The Pakatan Harapan secretariat urges Umno politician Hishammuddin and his colleagues to cease their campaign to promote the idea of a government without the participation of DAP and Amanah,” it said. -/TISG