Transition issue can be discussed at Presidential Council meeting – PM

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Dr Mahathir (right) chats with Anwar prior to the start of the press conference after chairing the Pakatan Harapan presidential council meeting in July, this year. — Bernama file photo

BAKU, Azerbaijan: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he has no problems if the Prime Minister power transition issue was to be discussed in the Pakatan Harapan (PH) Presidential Council.

“If there is a need to discuss, then it can be done in the Presidential Council (meeting),” the prime minister said when asked to comment on Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail’s statement earlier today of her willingness to discuss the matter within the Council.

Dr Mahathir, who is PH chairman, said he was agreeable to the matter because it was in the Presidential Council that names and positions of PH leaders were first proposed.

“…and also Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s position, and the proposal for me to be chairman and prime minister to be,” he told Malaysian media before departing for a two-day official visit to Turkmenistan.

Dr Mahathir, who was here for the the 18th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit that ended today, said he would be agreeable if there were any parties who wanted to discuss the (transition) issue.

Dr Wan Azizah, when asked to respond to Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s statement yesterday that the issue of power transition between Dr Mahathir and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim should be internally discussed and based on consensus among leaders of Pakatan Harapan (PH) component parties, said she was agreeable to the matter as well.

The president of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) had said the issue was indeed mentioned during the early agreement between the four PH component party leaders, namely Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (PKR), Lim Guan Eng (DAP), Mohamad Sabu (Amanah) and himself (Bersatu). – Bernama