ANWAR Ibrahim said his meeting with Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin does not amount to recognition of the new government, nor was it a betrayal of Pakatan Harapan (PH).

He said the meeting two days ago, which has been slammed by social media users, was for the people’s wellbeing and for national interest.

“It is not about betraying PH. People have accused me of recognising Perikatan Nasional (PN) but this is not the issue here.

“I met Muhyiddin to discuss national issues and the wellbeing of the people during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“People’s safety and national interest must always come first. It is always a priority. Issues on vote of no confidence and the back-door government can come later,” said Anwar in a live Facebook session.

On Tuesday, Anwar met his former colleague in PH, Muhyiddin, to discuss the Covid-19 crisis.

In the 45-minute meeting, both spoke about the government’s response to the outbreak, including economic stimulus packages to cushion the impact to Malaysia’s economy.

Muhyiddin’s Bersatu was previously part of the PH federal government together with DAP, Amanah and PKR.

Bersatu left PH and allied with Barisan Nasional and PAS. Muhyiddin then replaced Dr Mahathir Mohamad as prime minister.

Earlier today, Anwar, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng urged the government to call for a parliamentary sitting immediately to discuss necessary steps to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.

They want the sitting to take place earlier than the scheduled May 18.

“The presidential council is of the view that a special parliamentary sitting concerning Covid-19 is sensible and has to be called earlier than May 18, 2020 as previously announced by the government,” the pact said in a statement.

The PH council said this parliamentary sitting is important to uphold the process of checks and balances, which is a cornerstone of democracy, even during the Covid-19 crisis. – April 16, 2020.