Anwar will be PM if Pakatan wins polls, says DAP

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 19 — The DAP maintained today that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will be the prime minister if Pakatan Rakyat (PR) wins the next general election.
Following a push by PAS delegates at the PR party’s assembly last week for Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang to be the next PM, the DAP reminded the public today that Anwar is the opposition pact’s choice to be the next leader of the country.

“This is the consensus of three parties, that is Anwar. If it is Pakatan Rakyat that wins, it is Anwar who will be prime minister,” DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng (picture) told reporters at the Parliament lobby when asked to comment.

Asked about the proposal for the party with the most seats to get the prime minister’s post, Lim said that consensus among the PR parties was more important.

“But we think (the one) that can represent the whole of PR, the whole of Malaysia is Anwar...” Lim said, pointing out that his party currently has the most seats, followed by PKR and PAS.

Yesterday, Abdul Hadi finally bowed to repeated calls from PAS members for him to be the next prime minister, saying he was ready to lead the country should PR win the next elections.

“I welcome being elected as the prime minister ... but I ask for Allah to grant us victory,” the PAS president said in his closing speech at the party’s 58th annual conference or muktamar yesterday.

The Marang MP was responding to calls by several delegates who insisted numerous times during the muktamar that the next prime minister should come from the Islamist party.

Abdul Hadi’s statement and the resounding support of party delegates contradict the stand taken by the PR leadership, which has repeatedly endorsed its de facto leader Anwar for the post of prime minister.

The PAS Ulama wing also pushed for the party to be the major power in PR so Abdul Hadi can be elected as Cabinet leader.

On Saturday, Abdul Hadi played down a suggestion from party delegates that he become the next prime minister instead of Anwar, saying he would rather be a “servant” to the country instead of pursuing the post.

Anwar responded positively yesterday to calls from PAS members, saying the proposal could be discussed, despite his ambition for the post being no secret.