The Malaysian Insight

PAKATAN Harapan has picked its line-up of top officials to lead the coalition in the 14th general election (GE14), with Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail being named adviser and chairman respectively.

By naming its presidential council, the opposition coalition has satisfied a chief demand of civil society and moved to take the sting out of attacks by its critics who say PH is so fractious that it cannot agree on its slate of top leaders.

Sources told The Malaysian Insight that the list of the PH presidential council was finalised at a meeting on Sunday and will be submitted to the Registrar of Societies soon, together with a logo.

The logo, however, has yet to be finalised. PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli posted three logos (right) on his Facebook page but they received a lot of flak from cyberspace for its lack of imagination and creativity. 

Dr Mahathir will be adviser to Pakatan Harapan’s presidential council but he will not have executive powers. There is also a provision for another adviser and there is every possibility that this slot will be occupied by Anwar Ibrahim after he completes his jail term and receives a royal pardon.

PKR president and opposition leader Dr Wan Azizah will be the chairman of the council and she will be assisted by three vice-chairmen – Muhyiddin Yassin (Bersatu president), Mohamad Sabu (Amanah president) and Lim Guan Eng (DAP secretary-general).

Saifudin Abdullah will be the coalition’s secretary-general while DAP vice-president M. Kulasegaran is treasurer.

Another PH source told The Malaysian Insight each component party in the coalition will have three reps in the presidential council.

For PKR, they are: Mohamed Azmin Ali, Nurul Izzah Anwar and Saifuddin Nasution Ismail. Amanah will be represented by Salahuddin Ayub, Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa and Anuar Tahir while DAP will have Tan Kok Wai, Teresa Kok and Anthony Loke.

Bersatu’s three representatives are Mukhriz Mahathir, Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman and Dr Shahruddin Md Salleh.

Missing from the list of office-bearers is DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang. It remains unclear if Kit Siang will defend his Gelang Patah seat in GE14. He has been a target of attacks by Umno politicians and pro-government bloggers who have tried to portray him as the power behind PH and the man likely to call the shots if PH wrested control of Putrajaya from Barisan Nasional.

This Umno strategy of using Kit Siang as a bogeyman is aimed at planting the idea in the Malay heartland that Malay power will be diminished if BN loses.

Kit Siang’s omission from the presidential council appears to be aimed at killing off the campaign to make him the power broker in PH. – May 4, 2017.