Anwar’s party quits Malacca government on strains with ally
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[KUALA LUMPUR] Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s Pakatan Harapan has quit the Malacca state government that’s led by federal ally Barisan Nasional following disagreement over a Bill, further straining relations after battling each other in the Johor elections.
All of PH’s five state assembly members are withdrawing their backing for the BN-led Malacca government, and four of them will resign from their positions in the state administration, local party officials said. This comes after PH failed to stop a state Bill designed to create new vacancies for unelected, appointed assembly members.
The withdrawal doesn’t impact the current state government, as BN holds 20 of the 28 seats in the state assembly, giving it a supermajority regardless of PH’s backing.
PH leader Khoo Poay Tiong – who heads the local chapter for PH component Democratic Action Party – indicated in a briefing that his party will not collaborate with BN in the upcoming Malacca state election due early next year.
“I think it’s clear,” Khoo told reporters in a briefing in Malacca, when asked about possible cooperation in next year’s election. He said PH would shift to become the state opposition from Wednesday.
Anwar had later asked Malacca PH to postpone its decision of quitting the state government and instead negotiate with the state leadership, according to a report by The Edge.
BN scored a resounding victory in the Johor elections at PH’s expense, sweeping 48 of the 56 assembly seats in last Saturday’s vote. The parties are also set to battle in the Negeri Sembilan local election on Aug 1, where PH representatives are the incumbents. BN chief Ahmad Zahid Hamidi serves as Deputy Prime Minister in Anwar’s Cabinet.
The Malacca assembly’s term expires by February. The Chinese-dominated DAP is also set to weigh its role in Anwar’s government during a special meeting in August, triggered by concerns over declining support from ethnic Chinese towards the coalition and Anwar. BLOOMBERG
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