PKR's attempt to rope in Dr Mahathir shows desperation: Muhyiddin

The attempt by some Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) members to lure former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to take up their 'offer' as chairman shows that the party is desperate.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said Tun Mahathir is a hardcore member of UMNO, the party he led for so long, and will not accept the 'offer' from PKR.

"I am confident of this, although he is critical of certain issues on politics and those affecting the government," he told a media conference after attending a meet-the-people session at Dewan Suarah Bau, here Friday.

"They (PKR) are desperate and have nobody else to turn to for help. So, they decided to go for him. Let us leave this matter to Tun (Mahathir)," he added.

Several blogs on Thursday reported that a group of PKR members urged the party's leadership to appoint Dr Mahathir as chairman to replace Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who was jailed for sodomy.

The members gathered in front of PKR headquarters in Tropicana Damansara, Petaling Jaya with banners calling on the leadership to appoint Dr Mahathir as the chairman.

Asked about Barisan Nasional's (BN) preparation for the Permatang Pauh by-election, Muhyiddin said it is too early to talk about it as the Election Commission (EC) has not made an official announcement on the matter.

On Feb 10, the Federal Court found Anwar, who is also Permatang Pauh MP, guilty of sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, and upheld the five years' jail sentence imposed by the Appeals Court in March last year.