Azmin, Mukhriz should be Pakatan choice as PM, DPM

Amin Iskandar Amin Iskandar Updated 6 years ago · Published on 3 Jan 2018 7:53PM · 10 Comments

The Pakatan Harapan Wanita chief says having Mukhriz Mahathir as a candidate for deputy prime minister will provide a 'refreshing' take on national politics. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Seth Akmal, January 3, 2018.

THE Pakatan Harapan presidential council should consider alternative leaders, such as Mohamed Azmin Ali and Mukhriz Mahathir, as candidates for prime minister and deputy prime minister at its meeting tomorrow, said a senior opposition leader.

PH Wanita chief Zuraida Kamaruddin said by having Azmin and Mukhriz as candidates, the pact could introduce a “refreshing” take on the country’s politics, and would be able to attract young voters.

Zuraida, who is also PKR Wanita chief, said Azmin had long been involved in reforms since 1998, and had a good record as Selangor menteri besar.

“We cannot deny Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s role in developing the country, but he is more suited to being a senior minister, like Lee Kuan Yew in Singapore,” she told The Malaysian Insight.

She said it had become a trend for young people to win elections and become national leaders, such as the 46-year-old Justin Trudeau, who is Canada’s prime minister, and France’s 40-year-old president, Emmanuel Macron.

“They provide a refreshing take on politics, and it has been proven that they are accepted by the people,” said the Ampang MP.

Azmin, who is PKR deputy president, and Mukhriz, the Bersatu vice-president, are both 54.

Yesterday, former Senate member Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor suggested that PH name Azmin and Mukhriz as candidates for prime minister and deputy prime minister to break the opposition coalition’s deadlock on deciding who should be the head of government if it won the 14th general election.

He also proposed the establishment of an advisory council or council of elders, comprising Dr Mahathir, Anwar Ibrahim, Mohamad Sabu and others.

In a PH meeting last year, Dr Mahathir and PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail were proposed as candidates for prime minister and deputy prime minister.

However, the proposal was not announced because PKR wanted more time to discuss the matter at the party level, even though Bersatu, DAP and Amanah had supported it without objection.

Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin last week said PH had no choice but to name the prime minister candidate before GE14 as the people wanted to know what the opposition pact was offering to transform Malaysia after the election.

Last week, The Malaysian Insight reported that PKR had set three conditions for it to agree to Dr Mahathir being name as the prime minister candidate.

Merdeka Center director Ibrahim Suffian said by nominating Azmin and Mukhriz, PH would be easily accepted by the youth.

“This is because young people can associate themselves with Azmin and Mukhriz.

“PH can also use the administrative records of Azmin and Mukhriz, as the Selangor menteri besar and former Kedah menteri besar, respectively, to showcase the administration’s abilities if it succeeds in taking over the country.”

Mohamed Azmin Ali's good track record as Selangor menteri besar has been cited as a reason he should be named as Pakatan Harapan's candidate for prime minister. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, January 3, 2018.

Too late to name Azmin, Mukhriz as candidates?

However, Ibrahim said, such a proposal was too late to be highlighted as the majority of PH parties had made a decision.

“It will not be easy to gather support from the other parties if new faces are introduced.

“Furthermore, PAS has decided to move forward on its own, and this will split the opposition’s votes and give Barisan Nasional the advantage.

“In this situation, despite nominating the candidates for prime minister and deputy prime minister, it is difficult for PH to win GE14.”

Ilham Center executive director Hisommudin Bakar said the coupling of Azmin and Mukhriz would not have a big impact at the national level.

“This suggestion might persuade young voters by injecting new hope in national politics.

“However, from another perspective, it will still be unable to challenge BN’s political power, which lies in Umno.

“The psychology of Malay voters in rural areas, especially in Umno seats… these two opposition leaders are not capable of penetrating this voter segment.”

Hisommudin said in GE13, the now-defunct Pakatan Rakyat, led by de facto leader Anwar, succeeded in overcoming BN when it came to securing popular votes by gaining support in urban and semi-urban areas, but it was still not enough to defeat Umno.

“Despite the strength of Anwar, they failed. So, the combination of these two young people still does not have an appeal tremendous enough to change the present Malay pattern.

“From our observations throughout 2017, Malay voters are being targeted by all parties now.” – January 3, 2018.

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Comments

  • Nurul Izzah for PM!

    Posted 6 years ago by Anak Malaysia · Reply

  • Finally the cat is out of the bag ....... Azmin wants to be PM (as I long suspected) ...... that may be the reason PKR (read Azmin) refused to recognize the Tun MM - Kak Wan team. IMO, the unprincipled, back-stabbing, duplicitous, Machiavellian Azmin will make an even worse PM than MO1 ..... he tried to launch DEIG in Selangor which was even more opaque than 1MDB ..... refused to declare publicly his assets unlike his predecessor ..... use proxies to hide corruptions .... ruthlessly used his goons to undermine others then heartlessly dumped them (the PKR 5), etc. PAS will be very delighted if their lackey Azmin is PM. They will be the true ruler.


    Posted 6 years ago by Malaysian First · Reply

  • After undermining and back-stabbing DAP, Amanah and Bersatu (all fellow components in PH), Azmin finally turned on and back-stabbed his mentor, .... Anwar. What treachery! Nowhere here I read will Anwar ever will be a PM!

    Posted 6 years ago by Malaysian First · Reply

  • Zuraida , Ezam and Azmin----------- Nice try!!!. throwing in Mukhriz name to appease the old fox is really in bad taste. There are many more capable guys with strong political temperament and believe me both Azmin and Mukhriz are not exactly in the front of the line in the queue even for the PM registration form. Have yet to see Azmin real performance in a very tense offensive provoking situation almost daily in form to his administration like what the Umno goons did in Penang State CM. Is he cool and witty enough like Madhatir and LGE to fence off the abusive taunts and racist aggression. His minor skirmish with Jamal Jamban clownish antics is a child play. It is not that he is not the man for the job but the job requires a real man to execute. Azmin needs the learning curve and wider exposure to do the job. The time span of him in political expediency and maturity is an essence and an extremely important factor for the Rakyat to determine the acceptance of him. In honest truth he has to build up his credentials as he has yet to prove that he is a dependable team player not only within his own PKR Party but in the coalition front too. Coupled to the hard fact, he has never been really exposed to a real demanding administrative duties. Selangor State is a wholesomely well endowed package which is just there to be managed.

    Posted 6 years ago by Lee Lee · Reply

  • At the risk of sounding out platitudes, but it's precisely another classical case of: Haven't I told you so!?
    I'd just proffered my major Ezam-hued musings a couple of days ago. That Ezam typical chameleon-like
    1mega poli-tikus a la 1Malusia gotta the knack of sounding out mischievous babblings prior to his return from his self-exile in neighboring Indonesia.
    His latest salvo in the form of socalled "cleverly corny advice" on the appropriate choices of PH reps. as PM & DPM is totally unsolicited & hence frivillous at best. He childishly reckons his 2-sen ideas on suitable choice of candidates for the said 2 portfolios bears the hall mark of Divine suggestions fitting to be the order of the day.
    PH in general & PKR, in particular, be very wary of this infamous snitchy carton-like joker...
    Don't fret at later junctures, you haven't been forewarned!

    Posted 6 years ago by Musang Wang · Reply

  • ha ha ha ... dah agak dah.
    To sit on your long desired dream you need 2 decades experience in toungue twisting skills.

    Posted 6 years ago by Semua pun sama · Reply

    • "That old doctor from the TyrantsHill now sat on the whole hole of a NewHill...The old doctor is alright but NewHill is
      ill..."
      The NewHill is a VISION by all folks of this blessed land. Do away with ALL the "Cracy" and the acclaimed Nepotism except Democracy.

      Posted 6 years ago by Semua pun sama · Reply

  • NO! FACT IS IF ITS ABOUT GOALS AND PURPOSE, THE PERSON WHO SHOULD TAKE OVER AFTER MAHATHIR IS ZAID IBRAHIM - Even Anwar pales in comparison. Eveyrone else is pure political capital, feudalism, self-interest NOT actually the broader NATIONAL PURPOSE.

    Posted 6 years ago by Bigjoe Lam · Reply

  • PAKATAN HARAPAN ARE ON THE WRONG DIRECTION. FIX TO TUN AND GIVE HIM ONE/TWO YEARS TO BRING THINGS IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW.

    Posted 6 years ago by Mohanarajan murugeson · Reply

  • Politics is the art of the possible. Nothing is impossible or too late in politics.

    Posted 5 years ago by Roger 5201 · Reply