AFTER months of intense speculation, Pakatan Harapan (PH) is expected to firm up the date for the handover of power from Dr Mahathir Mohamad to Anwar Ibrahim, sources told The Malaysian Insight.

The discussion to set a date will take place at the PH presidential council’s first meeting of the year on Friday, they said.

“This issue has been going on long enough and we hope to finalise a date,” said a source from Amanah, one of the four parties in PH.

“But it’s more than just a date as we hope to talk about Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s role in the government after handing over to Anwar.”

Amanah believes that it’s not a simple matter of Dr Mahathir handing over the reins to Anwar after the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in November, but an issue of how PH would govern with the two leaders in the picture, the source said

He said Dr Mahathir should continue to play a role in government after Anwar takes over.

“We need to discuss what Dr Mahathir wants to do after the transition and what role is most suitable for him,” the source added.

This is not the first time the PH presidential council is attempting to pick a date for the handover of the office of the prime minister.

At its last meeting on November 3, PKR had suggested setting a date for the transition but the idea was met with lukewarm response from the other parties.

Another source told The Malaysian Insight that Amanah leaders had turned down the idea and said it was best left to the six party leaders to decide on their own.

The six are PH chairman Dr Mahathir, PKR president Anwar, Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and PH president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

Since then, developments such as factions within PKR calling for the power transition to take place in May, and Umno’s attempt to form a new coalition government called Pakatan Nasional, have made setting a definite timeline a matter of greater urgency,

PAS has further muddied the waters by declaring its support for Dr Mahathir to remain prime minister, in the awareness that such a course would prevent Anwar from taking office in the foreseeable future.

Statements of support for the sitting prime minister from Umno and PAS have led to more speculation that Dr Mahathir was shoring up support to stay on as prime minister for a full term.

Dr Mahathir, however, has denied the suggestions and repeatedly said that he would resign after the APEC summit, most recently on Tuesday.

“Amanah feels the time is right to fix a date to avoid more speculation about who will be the next PM or whether Pakatan will change to include Umno and PAS,” said the party insider.

He noted that DAP felt the same way although party officials declined to comment when approached by The Malaysian Insight.

Last Saturday, DAP strategist Liew Chin Tong wrote that the coalition would be further strengthened if it could provide clarity on three issues – Dr Mahathir’s role after the transition, Anwar’s role in government till then, and who will be the next deputy prime minister.

Unlike the Barisan Nasional formula for the distribution of power, which in its case rested solely with Umno, the PH government is led by Dr Mahathir from Bersatu while the deputy prime minister’s portfolia is held by PKR adviser Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

Liew, who is the deputy defence minister, said PH won the elections with Dr Mahathir and Anwar and should not revert to the BN model of “winner takes all” which had plagued the country for so long.

Besides the power transition issue, the presidential council is also expected to discuss the Sarawak elections following the Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg’s comments this week that elections is around the corner.

Although the Sarawak state legislature expires in June 2021, PH believes that elections should take place this year.

“Sarawak PH chief Chong Chieng Jen will brief the presidential council on Friday,” said the source. – February 19, 2020.