DR Mahathir Mohamad it is. After weeks of doubt and indecision, the PKR political bureau has finally agreed to the former prime minister heading the Pakatan Harapan pro tem committee.

Sources told The Malaysian Insight the decision was reached at the PKR political bureau meeting last night.

A PKR political bureau source told The Malaysian Insight that they agreed to Dr Mahathir leading the coalition as they believe it will enhance their prospects of capturing Putrajaya in the next elections.

“The political bureau agreed to have Dr Mahathir as PH chairman while Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail will be the president,” said the party insider.

The source added that PKR’s de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim will be PH adviser.

The Malaysian Insight also learnt that Amanah president Mohamad Sabu, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin and PKR deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali will be PH deputy presidents.

“We agreed for Dr Mahathir to lead the coalition as we believe he can help capture the Malay votes which have been monopolised by Umno all this while,” said the insider.

“After this, PKR will discuss the decision with the other opposition component parties to obtain their approval. Bersatu has already agreed.”

The Malaysian Insight reported yesterday that Anwar has agreed to allow PKR’s political bureau decide on the amended PH list of office-bearers.

Anwar’s decision to leave the final call to his party was after a meeting with Amanah president Mohamad Sabu and his deputy, Husam Musa, at the Court of Appeal in Putrajaya on Tuesday.

PH’s list of presidential council members became a cause of contention, delaying the opposition’s registration with the Registrar of Societies.

The four-party coalition could not finalise the line-up as some were undecided on whether Dr Wan Azizah or Dr Mahathir would be chairman.

Plans to announce the line-up last Friday, after the PH presidential council meeting, were scuppered after PKR could not agree with the new party structure.

Under the new structure, Anwar would be adviser while Dr Mahathir would be chairman, leaving Dr Wan Azizah as president. 

Anwar had wanted Dr Wan Azizah as chairman while he and Dr Mahathir would be the advisers.

The PH presidential council is due to meet again tomorrow. It said last Friday that it will announce the leadership line-up after tomorrow’s meeting. – June 15, 2017.