PARTI Warisan Sabah has become the third party to support Dr Mahathir Mohamad for the prime minister’s post, after DAP and Amanah threw their weight behind the nonagenarian, who resigned earlier today.

Warisan president and Sabah Chief Minister Mohd Shafie Apdal said he still supported Dr Mahathir for the post in the interest of Sabahans, he said according to Bernama.

Warisan has nine MPs in the Dewan Rakyat. It is not formally part of the Pakatan Harapan coalition but had been in cooperation with the PH federal government.

DAP and Amanah earlier today backed Dr Mahathir for prime minister again, with DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng saying the latter had resigned because he rejected invitations to form a backdoor government with Umno and PAS.

DAP has 42 seats and Amanah, 11.

Dr Mahathir has also resigned as chairman of Bersatu, the party he founded in 2016 which then formed the PH coalition with DAP, Amanah and PKR.

His resignation as chairman came after Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin announced that the party was withdrawing from PH.

PKR has yet to announce its stand on endorsing Dr Mahathir for prime minister. PKR now has 39 MPs after two – Azmin Ali and Zuraida Kamaruddin – were sacked today and nine followed by quitting. 

Warisan’s endorsement of Dr Mahathir, however, puts to question claims by PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan that PAS and Barisan Nasional have enough numbers to form the government.

PAS and BN MPs are having an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong at the Istana Negara this afternoon.

Dr Mahathir is also at the Istana for an audience with the King. – February 24, 2020.