By Ida Lim
The Malaysian Insider
May 10, 2013
KUALA LUMPUR, May 10 ― Pakatan Rakyat (PR) may consider working together with the Barisan Nasional (BN) to form a coalition government if the former’s election manifesto is endorsed by its rival, DAP’s Lim Kit Siang today said.
Stressing that this proposal was merely his personal opinion, Lim said there would only be “basis for discussion” with BN if the ruling coalition “endorses” PR’s common policy framework and manifesto for the 13th general election.
“On that, we made it very clear, it’s my personal view, because this is something which can only be officially responded by the Pakatan Rakyat leadership,” said the veteran leader from DAP, one of three parties in the PR pact.
Think-tank ASLI had on Wednesday proposed a broad-based BN-PR coalition government, a suggestion that comes on the back of BN’s reduced support in the national polls on Sunday.
The BN won a weaker majority with only 133 federal seats after it ceded an additional seven seats to PR, failing to meet its stated aim of forming the federal government with a two-thirds parliamentary majority that needed a 148-seat win.
Lim also reiterated his stand yesterday that DAP would not join BN to replace MCA.
“I have not advocated or agreed that DAP should join BN to replace MCA,” he said firmly, having said that the party’s objectives is to fight for the interests of all ethnic groups in Malaysia.
Both MCA and DAP are widely regarded as Chinese-based parties, although the latter pointed out that it has a multiracial composition and its membership was not restricted by race.
Lim today again pressed the BN administration to give Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman a government post, following the four-term Johor mentri besar’s defeat in the Gelang Patah parliamentary contest.
When pitching his proposal to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, he said that Abdul Ghani was still able to contribute to the country.
“I would today suggest to Najib that he should be appointed as a senator, as a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department to take the place of Nor Yakcop, to be able to contribute to economic planning and development of the country.”
Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop was in charge of the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) during Najib’s first term as the country’s prime minister.
“I hope this proposal by us will not be sabotaged by Umno leaders,” Lim said when saying that politicians across the political divide should come together for the nation’s benefit.