Today, Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali gave a strong endorsement for the choice.
Azmin, who is PKR’s deputy president and PH’s vice-president, said Mahathir was the “best option” the opposition coalition could offer to the people.
He said the former prime minister would boost the confidence of the people to vote for PH in the coming general election.
“Our priority is to build confidence in the people,” he said after visiting the newly-built Masjid Zakaria in Jalan Gombak here.
“If it boosts the people’s confidence to accept us, what is wrong with it? We are a democratic country. We do not force the people to accept but we offer the best option that we have.”
Last Sunday, PH announced the nomination of Mahathir, who is PH chairman, as its candidate for prime minister and PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as the deputy prime minister candidate in the next election.
PH is made up of PKR, DAP, Amanah and PPBM, which is led by Mahathir.
Earlier reports indicated that Selangor PKR had refused to endorse the choice.
Its communications head, Hizwan Ahmad, said the PM should have been picked from among leaders of PKR because it had struggled for 20 years to reform the country.
Asked about the stand of Selangor PKR, Azmin said the priority for PH was to build confidence among the people in the coalition and not just among party members.
This was because, without the people’s support, PH would not be able to win the general election, he said.
“We must work hard and not focus only on the posts.
“Why do we want to focus on a single individual? We have to focus on our team.
“The old and the new are all important. If the people believe our team is strong, they will support us.”
Azmin said the choice of Mahathir for prime minister would not end the reformation agenda championed by PKR.
He said Mahathir had pledged to accept and continue the agenda.
“I am very happy Dr Mahathir is willing and committed. This is not a question of an individual’s cause.
“We will only succeed if we work together, and not for individual interest.”
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