THE Pakatan Harapan leadership saga could come to an end as early as this week, after PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar and Bersatu chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad met in London recently to resolve outstanding issues plaguing the opposition pact.

“The meeting went well,” Nurul Izzah, who is also Lembah Pantai MP, told The Malaysian Insight.

“We talked about Malaysia’s future and our commitment towards the reformasi agenda.”

She, however, declined to say whether an agreement was reached on the PH leadership line-up, which is holding back the registration of the opposition coalition.

The line-up, including the post of chairman and president, is necessary for PH to be registered with the Registrar of Societies (RoS) and enable it to use a common logo and flag in the 14^th general election.

“Please wait for the official PH meeting. We will announce it then,” said Nurul Izzah when pressed if they had reached an agreement on the line-up.

The Malaysian Insight also learnt that top officials in all PH parties will meet this weekend on the issue, which has demoralised the coalition’s supporters and activists.

The meeting between Nurul Izzah and Dr Mahathir took place on Monday. The PKR vice-president said she was in London to meet her father’s lawyer, while Dr Mahathir was visiting his children and grandchildren for Aidilfitri.

Another PH leader, Husam Musa, said the PH line-up will be announced after Dr Mahathir returns from London.

“PH leaders will meet first after Dr Mahathir returns and we will announce the leadership line-up after that,” Husam, who is Amanah vice-president, told The Malaysian Insight.

It was earlier reported that PH component member, PKR, was against a Bersatu (Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia) proposal to name Dr Mahathir as the coalition’s chairman, and this had stalled the registration process.

The opposition pact is made up of Bersatu, PKR, DAP and Amanah, and decisions affecting PH are made by consensus. It is learnt that DAP and Amanah have agreed to Bersatu’s proposal but it was opposed by a faction in PKR.

Bersatu’s proposal involved appointing Dr Mahathir as chairman of the PH’s presidential council while PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail will be its president.

The council will also have three vice-presidents: Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin, Amamah president Mohamad Sabu and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.

In an earlier report, Nurul Izzah told The Malaysian Insight that the PH chairman is not automatically the coalition’s choice as prime minister, adding that this issue was also confusing its supporters as they assume whoever is the chairman is the automatic choice for the prime minister’s position if PH wins GE14.

She said this after her father, Anwar Ibrahim, announced that he has withdrawn as prime minister candidate for PH.

In making the announcement, he said PH should now focus on GE14 and all other side issues, such as leadership and power struggles and verbal spats, should stop. – July 6, 2017.