In Malaysia, Mahathir-Anwar divide sees Pakatan Harapan counter-coup falter

Name: Mahathir Mohamad on Malaysia’s politics, US-China relations and the pandemic
Uploaded: 2020-06-19T07:46:42.000Z
Duration: 28 min 52 s
Description: Mahathir Mohamad on Malaysia’s politics, US-China relations and the pandemic

The multiracial coalition is seeking to sink the Malay-centric current government of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who controversially took power in March

But wrangling between the two veteran politicians, now in opposition, over who should be the next prime minister has the plan on the brink of collapse

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Mahathir Mohamad (right) and Anwar Ibrahim are at loggerheads over who should be Malaysia’s next prime minister should their coalition take power. Photo: AFP

Bhavan Jaipragas

Published: 3:46pm, 19 Jun 2020Updated: 8:27pm, 19 Jun 2020

A so-called parliamentary counter-coup planned by Malaysia’s multiracial Pakatan Harapan alliance in a bid to sink the Malay-centric current government of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin was on the verge of collapse on Friday, as the coalition remained deeply divided on who should lead it should it return to power.

For weeks, Pakatan Harapan – victor of the country’s 2018 elections – has been wrangling over whether elder statesman Mahathir Mohamad or his on-off ally Anwar Ibrahim should be made prime minister if its plan to induce defections from the government materialises.

The bloc lost power in March after Muhyiddin, once a Pakatan Harapan stalwart, pulled the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) party started by himself and Mahathir out of the then ruling alliance and joined forces with the opposition bloc.

He was appointed prime minister after Mahathir resigned from the position in protest over PPBM’s self-coup.

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Mahathir Mohamad on Malaysia’s politics, US-China relations and the pandemic

In a statement on Friday, Anwar’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) said it had made a final decision that Anwar, 72, should be the prime minister.