By Clara Chooi - The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, March 22 — Independent MP Datuk Seri Zahrain Hashim (picture) said Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim promised to create three deputy prime minister posts for representatives of each Pakatan Rakyat (PR) component party, if he were to become prime minister.
The three, claimed Zahrain, were DAP’s Lim Kit Siang, PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and one other person from Sabah or Sarawak.
He added that the plan was Anwar’s strategy to ensure that DAP and PAS leaders were “well-fed” with positions in the government and would then continue to throw their support behind him as prime minister.
The renegade MP told The Malaysian Insider in an interview last night that information of such an agreement, though unconfirmed, had reached him when he was still in PKR.
“You mean you did not hear of this? You should ask Anwar about what he promised Kit Siang and Hadi? He must have promised them something,” he said.
In an immediate reaction, DAP’s Parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang denied ever being offered the DPM post if Pakatan Rakyat captured Putrajaya.
“Anwar has never offered any post to me,” the Ipoh Timur MP told The Malaysian Insider.
Zahrain added that as the post of deputy prime minister was not provided for in the Federal Constitution, Anwar had every right to create as many deputy prime ministers as he wanted.
“You can create as many as you like, five, six, seven, 10. And mind you, the people would be paying for their salaries at the end of the day,” he said.
Zahrain added that without such an agreement, DAP and PAS leaders would not blindly support Anwar.
“You think they would support him for nothing? You mean they are going to say — ok, ok, we support you as prime minister but we do not want anything. Come on,” he said.
He added that knowing full well that pleasing PAS and the DAP would ultimately grant him his much-needed support, Anwar was willing to make all kinds of promises to PR member parties.
“He has to play juggling... he has to juggle the balls and one day he might drop some balls then at the end of the day, he has no balls,” said Zahrain, in jest.
He added that Anwar’s Putrajaya dream was not just a “want” or a “wish” but an “obsession.”
“That’s why I tell you, the country will go down if he actually takes power. He will promise everybody one thing and yet, deliver nothing. That is what he does — make promises.
“I am afraid if the PR succeeds in convincing the people and they become the government one day... because they (PKR, PAS, DAP) will eventually quarrel and then someone has to be subservient to someone else if the coalition were to work but who is going to give in? Definitely not PAS and DAP,” he said.
Zahrain said that the three PR parties were only standing together today for the purpose of taking over the government.
“There is a lot of hypocrisy in the PR. PKR is holding the balance now, that is true, but how long can they hold the balance between DAP and PAS? PAS wants hudud law. You think DAP will stand for that?
“Today, everyone is putting aside their differences until they take over the government and when they do, then suddenly one group will say, I want this, and another group will say, no, I want that. This is why it will never work,” he predicted.
Zahrain also claimed that Anwar’s promise game had even reached outside Malaysia, which was why the fiery leader had so much support from nations like the US.
“Anwar used (former Prime Minister Tun) Dr Mahathir (Mohamad) to get to them (the Americans). Mahathir’s Look East policy never sat well with them and Anwar made full use of that, as well as his sodomy trial, to garner support from them. He has promised the Americans that if he became the Prime Minister, they would be his partner,” he said.
Meanwhile, Zahrain also voiced his strong belief that the Barisan Nasional would win back its two-third majority in the Parliament come the next election.
“It is quite clear because the PR has lost its Malay support quite drastically. Support from the Indian community has also dwindled drastically and at the same time, support from the Chinese community has stagnated.
“In any case, how can you have a prime minister who is merely a popularity seeker, who only knows how to make promises and who cannot deliver?” he said.
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