He said the presidential council of Pakatan Harapan would meet to discuss Mahathir’s announcement on Thursday. The press conference was attended by several Pakatan leaders, among them DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang, Amanah deputy president Salahuddin Ayub and PKR vice-president Tian Chua.

However PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali and vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar were absent.

Lim told Malaysiakini today that “as a member of Pakatan Harapan, I wish for us to come out with a team statement.”

He would not state DAP’s stand, saying he feared his remarks would be twisted by those with a hidden agenda, the report said.

Wan Azizah has withheld any commitment by PKR and said yesterday that the party would see what former Umno deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin would do. Muhyiddin has been touted to be the new party’s president.

Parti Sosialis Malaysia has rejected Mahathir’s grand coalition, declining to work with “a former dictator”.