PAKATAN Harapan chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad has admitted that the coalition “has a slight problem” as Anwar Ibrahim, de facto leader of component party PKR, wants the coalition to continue engaging with PAS.

Dr Mahathir reiterated that PH had decided that as a coalition, it  would not have any more dealings with the Islamist party.

“There is no way we can accept PAS into the coalition.

“We will put a stop to that; I hope we can do that,” he said at a town hall session titled “Charting our future” at Yayasan Perdana in Putrajaya.

Anwar, who is in jail,  has endorsed the efforts of PKR deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali to form an electoral pact with PAS in Selangor in the 14th general election.

Anwar, however, said PKR was firmly committed to PH as stated by PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

The PH Presidential Council last week agreed to close the door to PAS and will instead prepare for three-cornered fights in GE14.

Dr Mahathir said if PH accepted PAS there would be five parties in the coalition.

“PAS will then insist that they be given all the 60 seats which they had contested in the last election and the ones they had won.

“If they take all the 60 seats, what is there left for Amanah the ex-PAS people and for us that have no seat except for Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin?”

Dr Mahathir said the coalition had decided as one that there would be no more dealings with PAS,

“But the statement by Anwar is that it was he who urged them (PH) to try to talk with their old friends.” – September 6, 2017.