PAKATAN Harapan (PH) has thrown its support behind Dr Mahathir Mohamad to be the eighth prime minister, the coalition said in a statement today.

Just minutes after Dr Mahathir said he has the mandate to be prime minister again, PH issued its own statement echoing the 94-year-old’s.

“Pakatan is the coalition that received a clear mandate in GE14.

“Pakatan is against any attempts at backdoor governments that involves kleptocrats and traitors who will reverse the reforms done till now.

“As such, Pakatan now states its full support for Dr Mahathir to become its candidate for prime minister.”

The latest twist to the saga now puts Dr Mahathir back in the driving seat to reprise his role as prime minister again.

This latest development now puts Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin on the spot again as the party had yesterday said all 36 of its MPs were supporting the president instead of its chairman Dr Mahathir.

Muhyiddin, who is supported by Barisan Nasional (42), PAS (18), and PBRS (1) had initially planned to go to Istana Negara to meet with Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Yesterday, groups of Umno, PAS and Warisan MPs were seen at Muhyiddin’s house celebrating as it expected to form a government comprising Bersatu, BN, PAS and PBRS.

Muhyiddin was expected to be ahead of PH’s candidate Anwar Ibrahim by two votes with Warisan and Gabungan Parti Sarawak undeclared.

But Bersatu youth chief Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman signalled something was amiss this morning when he released a video at 8.02am saying he will not work with corrupt people.

He later told reporters in a WhatsApp group that he did not sign any support for Muhyiddin to be candidate for prime minister. – February 29, 2020.