THERE is no need to rush a decision on Pakatan Harapan’s prime ministerial candidate, former PKR deputy president Dr Syed Husin Ali said.

More important than naming a PM designate, is PH’s struggle for unity and justice through major reforms to national systems and institutions, the party political bureau member said in a statement.

“Why has the issue to determine a name for PH’s prime minister candidate become so big? Why the rush to decide it? 

“We must always bear in mind that the reason Pakatan Harapan was formed was to uphold unity, strength and justice for the people and to advance the nation.

“In order to achieve this, there must be major reforms of systems and institutions to make them fair and equitable,” Syed Husin said.

His statement comes as PH struggles to reach a consensus over naming its chairman, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, as interim prime minister should the opposition pact win the 14th general election.

The PH presidential council was to have made a decision last night but failed. All PH parties except PKR have supported a proposal to name the Dr Mahathir, the coalition’s chairman, as prime minister.

Last night, Dr Mahathir said the coalition would announce its prime minister candidate at its convention this Sunday, but it remains uncertain if the deadline can be met.

The Malaysian Insight reported earlier today that PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim is delaying the decision on grounds that more feedback from civil society groups and activists was needed.

Last week, PKR reportedly set three conditions for Dr Mahathir to be named as the candidate. The first was for Anwar to be made prime minister within a year after winning the election; the second was for PKR to be given the bulk of federal seats in Peninsular Malaysia, and the third was for Dr Mahathir to agree to institutional reforms.

Syed Husin agreed with Anwar’s call for more time to listen to the people’s views on the matter.

“Stop exaggerating this PM issue, don’t be in a rush to decide. Give enough time to hear the people until the announcement of the dissolution of Parliament.” – January 5, 2018.

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