PETALING JAYA: PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim says discussions between PKR and Umno leaders have taken place.
However, he said that no agreement or any formal understanding had been made yet.
“I’ve already said it would be premature to indicate any possibility of cooperation or agreement. At this stage, we are just discussing, ” he told a press conference after a meeting with PKR MPs and top party leadership here yesterday.
He was asked to clarify his remarks on the possibility of PKR cooperating with Umno in the next general election following his interview with a Malay daily last week.
Anwar said discussions with any political party, including Umno, must be based on common principles and fundamental values outlined in the Federal Constitution.
He added that it was too early to decide on the political cooperation.
“So, I think we will stick to that – that we are just in the midst of initial discussions, ” he said, adding that it was incorrect to suggest that PKR had compromised its values or policies.
To a question whether the party would remain with Pakatan Harapan or go alone in the 15th general election, Anwar said the party remained committed to its allies DAP and Amanah.
Anwar also claimed that he still commanded the support of an “adequate number” of lawmakers, despite several PKR MPs quitting the party.
In recent weeks, PKR lost Julau MP Larry Sng, Tebrau MP Steven Choong and Kuala Langat MP Datuk Dr Xavier Jeyakumar, with all three becoming independents and pledging support for Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s coalition of Perikatan Nasional.
“I have adequate numbers. What is important is why nobody asked how many MPs Perikatan has, ” Anwar said.
“Why didn’t they answer on the total of 115 MPs who had written to the King to reject the government’s decision to suspend Parliament?” he asked, referring to his claims early this year that a majority of the MPs wanted Parliament to reconvene.
A state of Emergency was enforced nationwide from Jan 12 as a proactive measure to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.
On a separate matter, Anwar said he would write to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner today to seek a meeting to discuss claims that some opposition politicians were “intimidated” into leaving Pakatan.- The Star