Amanah vice-president Mahfuz Omar has questioned whether PAS is prepared to accept Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as prime minister, after an analyst suggested he could become the country’s 11th prime minister with support from Sabah and Sarawak coalitions.
Mahfuz said the prediction by analyst Ong Kian Ming raised questions about whether PAS, a component of Perikatan Nasional (PN), would support a Zahid premiership.
He recalled that PAS had previously questioned Zahid’s appointment as deputy prime minister during the early stages of the formation of the unity government, when Zahid was facing 47 charges linked to the Yayasan Akalbudi case.
PN had also criticised Zahid’s appointment over the legal issues at the time, Mahfuz said.
“Today, the same person is being touted as a future prime minister should the Barisan Nasional-Perikatan Nasional pact win the next general election (GE16),” he said in a statement.
“Those 47 charges were an issue back then when Zahid wanted to be deputy prime minister. Are those charges no longer an issue now if Zahid is to become prime minister?”
Mahfuz seeks clarification from PAS
Mahfuz said PAS should clarify whether it had changed its position on Zahid.
“If PAS is prepared to accept Zahid as prime minister, it should explain to the public the basis for its consideration.
“If it is not prepared to do so, it should explain how Umno and PAS intend to form a government and determine who will be prime minister,” he said.
He also questioned whether Malaysians were ready to have Zahid lead the country, pointing to the unresolved legal proceedings surrounding the Yayasan Akalbudi case.
Zahid was granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) on all 47 charges involving alleged criminal breach of trust, corruption and money laundering linked to Yayasan Akalbudi.
Mahfuz also noted that the Court of Appeal had allowed the Malaysian Bar to challenge the Attorney-General’s decision to discontinue the prosecution.
The Federal Court is scheduled to hear on Oct 8 applications by Zahid and Attorney-General Dusuki Mokhtar for leave to appeal against the Court of Appeal’s decision.
Questions over standards for PM
“So the people need to ask: What standards do we want for the position of prime minister of Malaysia?” Mahfuz said.
“This is not about punishing someone before the judicial process is completed. This is about trust, transparency and standards of national leadership.”
Mahfuz said the public needed to know who would lead the nation, including their track record, principles and public policies, as well as the standards to be applied in determining who was qualified for the post of prime minister.
In January, the Attorney-General’s Chambers announced that Zahid’s case had been classified as requiring no further action.
