Malaysia: Dr Mahathir-Anwar deal, Sarawak key to Pakatan’s plan to retake Putrajaya

• PAKATAN Harapan’s plan to retake federal power before the 15th general election will hinge on two main elements – the support of Sarawak MPs and a new deal between Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Anwar Ibrahim.
• Sources in the coalition said a compromise must be struck between Dr Mahathir, who claims to be Bersatu chairman, and PKR president Anwar on who gets to be prime minister should PH pull off a counter coup against Perikatan Nasional.
• Sources said discussions are ongoing between associates of the two icons on how best to achieve these aims.
• PH intends to convince 18 to 22 MPs to switch sides so that it can have a majority of between 126 and 130 in the 222-seat Dewan Rakyat to move a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.
• It is learnt that PH is approaching GPS, as getting all 18 MPs to switch sides will give the coalition the numbers to form a government.
• PH is also reaching out to the 31 Bersatu MPs in Muhyiddin’s faction.
• PH believes some of these MPs, especially those who campaigned and won under its banner in the 14th general election, are dissatisfied with the dealings with Umno.
• Another group of MPs being targeted are the nine PKR rebels who followed the party’s former No.2, Mohamed Azmin Ali, to dump PH together with Muhyiddin’s 31 from Bersatu on 24 Feb 20, in what is now called the “Sheraton move”.
• Another source said the key to courting GPS will be whether PH can guarantee more autonomy in how they rule Sarawak and their continued political dominance after the state elections due in 2021.
• The source admits that getting GPS to trust PH is a tall order given the bad blood between Sarawak leaders and PH’s former ministers. The other big challenge will be getting either Dr Mahathir or Anwar to give up their claim to the prime ministership.

External Link : https://www.themalaysianinsight.com/s/250041