KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 21 — Pakatan Harapan (PH) has described Perikatan Nasional (PN) secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin’s statement that the coalition (PN) has more than 112 statutory declarations (SDs) to form a new federal government as premature, improbable and inconclusive.
PH secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said this is based on Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s statement that any SD or negotiations with other parties by UMNO MPs was invalid and cannot be deemed as a proof of majority support to any choice of prime minister candidate.
It can also cause the member of parliament to lose their seat as agreed in the statutory declaration they signed, he added.
“At the same time, we take notice of (BN secretary-general) Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein’s denial of a statement that 10 UMNO MPs have pledged support for Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister candidate,” Saifuddin said in a statement today.
Earlier, Hamzah in a statement, said PN had submitted more than 112 SDs from MPs who have pledged support to Pagoh MP Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to be appointed as the 10th prime minister.
Saifudin Nasution said PH has entered into serious negotiations with BN regarding cooperation to form the federal government and that discussions would be finalised anytime soon.
Yesterday, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah called on all leaders and coalitions of political parties that won a large number of seats in the 15th general election (GE15) to prove their majority for government formation and their choice for prime minister before 2 pm today.
However, Al-Sultan Abdullah today agreed for the period to be extended until 2 pm tomorrow following requests from party leaders.
GE15 ended with a hung Parliament situation when no party or coalition of political parties obtained a simple majority to form the federal government.
The polls on Nov 19 saw Pakatan Harapan (PH) winning 82 parliamentary seats, Perikatan Nasional (73), while Barisan Nasional managed 30.
A total of 112 seats are needed for a simple majority to form the government.
