PAKATAN Harapan (PH) Youth has pledged its support for Dr Mahathir Mohamad as the coalition’s choice for prime minister candidate.

In a signed statement, the youth wing’s of all four PH parties agreed that naming Dr Mahathir as prime minister and Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as his deputy was a step forward in overthrowing the current government.

“The agreement to name Dr Mahathir as prime minister candidate and Dr Wan Azizah as deputy for the 14th general election shows how keen PH is in replacing the Najib Razak administration,” the statement read.

The statement comes amidst some dissent among PH’s ranks over Dr Mahathir’s nomination.

Hours after the announcement, PKR Selangor refused to endorse the choice of prime minister and deputy prime minister.

Its Information chief Hizwan Ahmad said Selangor PKR would stick to its stance of disagreeing with the appointments.

“With what remains of democracy and freedom of speech, Selangor PKR expresses its frustration and disappointment with the announcement of PH’s candidates for prime minister and deputy prime minister,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Wanita DAP international secretary Sangeet Kaur, daughter of the late Karpal Singh, the former DAP chairman, also criticised choices in a Facebook post.

She complained that Dr Mahathir becoming prime minister again would bring back “Mahathirism”.

She said PH lacked a long-term political strategy, adding that the focus should be on policies, not personalities.

She questioned whether it was realistic to have Dr Mahathir leave the prime minister’s post to make way for PH de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, who is still in jail, when the latter became eligible to run in elections again.

However, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said only one or two members were unhappy with the selection and said the majority in the party accepted the decision.

“DAP is a democratic party, where members can give their views,” he told reporters in Penang today.

PH Youth, however, agreed that this arrangement would be temporary until Anwar Ibrahim obtains a royal pardon and is made the 8th prime minister if the opposition takes over Putrajaya.

They also claimed that after completing seat negotiations and agreeing on a prime minister candidate, PH is now the “government-in-waiting”.

“Many feel that this unity cannot be accomplished. Many have felt that the burden of history will halt this unity. But our leadership has proven otherwise. They have set aside their own selfish gains for the future of the people,” the statement added.

The statement was signed by PH Youth chief Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (PKR), deputy Mohd Sany Hamzah (Amanah), deputy Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (Bersatu) and deputy Wong Kah Woh (DAP). – January 9, 2018.