The Pakatan Harapan leadership line-up is unable to ‘impress’ the people that the opposition pact can rival the Barisan Nasional (BN) in the 14th general election (GE14).

UMNO Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said efforts to form the pact was only to gauge its acceptance among the Malays on the Pakatan Harapan leadership.

“They are trying to see if the Malays can accept this brand of Pakatan Harapan leadership. I don’t see it as a pact that impressed the people to compete with BN in the GE14,” he told reporters at the Bayan Baru UMNO Division Pemuda and Puteri Delegates Conference here Saturday.

On Thursday, Pakatan Harapan comprising PKR, DAP, Parti Amanah Negara and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) had announced their new leadership line-up by naming PPBM chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as its chairman, PKR's Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the de facto leader and PKR's Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as president.

Commenting on the line-up, Mahdzir who is also Education Minister, said the appointment of three ‘leaders’ clearly showed that the pact did not have an understanding because each had their own agenda.

“This contrasts with the BN party, which despite having 13 component parties, agreed to be loyal to one chairman, who is also Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak,” he added.

-- BERNAMA