Amanah, DAP want PH plus to be intact

Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) and DAP said they want Pakatan Harapan (PH) Plus to remain intact and that it should not enter into cooperation deals with outsiders that excludes any of the five original parties in it .

Amanah deputy president Datuk Seri Salahudin Ayub and DAP vice-chairman M.Kula Segaran in a joint statement here today said that Amanah and DAP would remain in solidarity with the PH coalition (made up of Amanah, DAP and PKR), Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's faction in Bersatu and their Sabah ally Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan)

The two leaders said that there should not be any attempt by any party in the opposition alliance to cut a deal with Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin (Bersatu secretary-general), underscoring that PH Plus' struggle now was to recapture Putrajaya from Perikatan Nasional (PN).

"Parti Amanah Negara and the DAP are of the opinion that any combination of parties to restore the people's mandate must include the five original Pakatan Harapan Plus parties that were voted in by the people in the 14th General Election on 9th May 2018. These parties are Amanah, DAP, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Warisan and Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad's faction of Bersatu.

Recently, there were reports about a meeting between Hamzah and PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

However, Hamzah said it was a personal meeting with someone he had not seen for a few years and that the matters discussed were personal.

On Friday, former prime minister Dr Mahathir had announced that he and PH partners AMANAH and DAP were in favour of Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, who is also Sabah Chief Minister, to be the alliance's choice for prime minister (PM), Anwar as Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) 1 and former Bersatu deputy president Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir as DPM 2 if the Opposition were to wrest Putrajaya from PN.

Yesterday, PKR secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail had said the PH component was open to any suggestions on the PM candidate for the Opposition but the matter would have to be finalised by the PH Presidential Council.

PN is made up of Bersatu, of which Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is the acting chairman and president, UMNO-led Barisan Nasional, PAS, Gabungan Parti Sarawak and other smaller parties.

-- BERNAMA