PH & BN Leaders Are Meeting Today
Their meeting comes after Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi warned his coalition members not to go against BN's wishes, as it is against the anti-party hopping law.
By Yap Wan Xiang — 21 Nov 2022, 10:59 AM
Top leaders from Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) are meeting in Kuala Lumpur at 10am today, 21 November
The meeting is currently being held at the Seri Pacific Hotel.
Previously, a source downplayed the meeting, saying it is just to "exchange views", reported Malaysiakini.
"It's not official, just a regular meeting. It is not wrong if PH and BN meet to exchange views after the tiring campaign period," explained the PH source.
CNA reporter Melissa Goh has since verified that the meeting is currently on-going, with PH's Mohamad Sabu and UMNO secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan appearing at the hotel.
BN chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and MCA president Wee Ka Siong were also spotted entering the hotel, reported BFM News.
The meeting between the two rival coalitions comes after the Yang di-Pertuan Agong set a deadline of 2pm today for all coalition and party leaders to nominate a candidate for prime minister
Should PH and BN join forces, they could achieve a simple majority. PH holds 82 parliamentary seats, while BN holds 30, enough to achieve a 112-seat majority out of 222 parliamentary seats.
Meanwhile, Perikatan Nasional (PN) said the coalition has met with Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), and they all agreed to support PN chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as the next prime minister.
PN has 73 seats, GPS has 22, and GRS has six. Together, they only have 101 seats.
In an Utusan Malaysia's report published last night, 20 November, it is understood that all 29 BN members of parliament (MPs), except Zahid, have signed statutory declarations (SDs) backing Muhyiddin as the prime minister.
A source said that the signing of SDs was led by Sembrong MP Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein
On the same night, Zahid denied that BN had any talks with GPS to form the federal government with PN
GPS was part of the BN administration under the leadership of Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob. Prominent former ministers from GPS include then-tourism, arts, and culture minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri and then-domestic trade and consumer affairs minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi.
Zahid, who is being called to resign from the coalition's top post by multiple peers, warned yesterday that, "Any MPs who go against party orders will see them being stripped of their membership, as well as their seat, in line with the anti-party hopping law under Article 49A of the Federal Constitution."
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Zahid photographed together outside of Dewan Rakyat in 2018.
Image via Zahid Hamidi (Facebook)
