Who Has The Executive Powers In Pakatan Harapan? - Salleh
KUALA LUMPUR, July 14 (Bernama) -- Who has the executive powers in the opposition Pakatan Harapan pact?
This was the question Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak asked after Pakatan Harapan announced its leadership structure early today.
The opposition pact had appointed Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as 'Ketua umum' (de facto leader), Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as chairman and Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as president.
Anwar is the de facto leader of PKR, Dr Mahathir is chairman of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) and Dr Wan Azizah is president of PKR. The pact also includes DAP and Parti Amanah Negara.
Salleh said in a post on his blog that it was not stated who had the executive powers and the final say among the three top leaders' de facto leader, chairman and president.
In the announcement made after midnight following a five-hour presidential council meeting, Pakatan Harapan also named PPBM president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and Amanah president Mohamad Sabu as deputy presidents.
Salleh raised the question of why a DAP leader did not figure among the top posts when the party had the most number of MPs among the member parties of the pact.
"Has the DAP been sidelined or is it the intention of Pakatan Harapan to be seen as being dominated by Malays," he asked.
He said that whatever strategy the opposition pact employed, it would never come near what the Barisan Nasional was - a coalition tried and tested over its cooperation among the component parties of various races and the give-and-take attitude of its leaders, without neglecting party principles.
Salleh said that soon after announcing the leadership line-up, the opposition pact made the political pledges that it wanted to fulfill in the 100 days after coming to power.
Strictly speaking, he said, it would be better for the opposition pact to name its candidate for prime minister instead of making the pledges.
"It was strange that the chairman (Dr Mahathir) said in reply to a question from reporters: we declare the eighth prime minister first. The seventh prime minister will be determined later.
"With this kind of leadership in the opposition pact, can we trust them to lead the country? Definitely not, because the future of the nation is not something to be gambled with," he said.
-- BERNAMA
