KUALA LUMPUR (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Anyone can try to become prime minister, but one has to go through the usual channels rather than hold secret meetings, said Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) president Anwar Ibrahim.
"I won't stop anyone interested (in being the next premier). But follow the usual channels."
"Otherwise, we will have to cooperate with certain groups, hold secret meetings and we won't be able to focus on our job," he told reporters at the Parliament lobby on Wednesday (Nov 20).
"The economy must be developed and rakyat (people) issues must be addressed. If we don't learn from our terrible defeat in the Tanjung Piai by-election, we will be in trouble," he said.
The ruling coalition Pakatan Harapan (PH), which includes PKR, suffered a massive electoral defeat in Johor on Nov 16, its fourth electoral loss this year. The opposition Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate, Mr Wee Jeck Seng, 55, triumphed over PH candidate Karmaine Sardini, 66, in the Malay-Muslim-majority ward.
Datuk Seri Anwar, who is also Port Dickson MP, said the results in the Tanjung Piai by-election came as an "extraordinary surprise", where Malaysians used the ballot box to send a clear message to the PH government.
He expressed dismay that certain leaders still acted as though nothing had happened despite this disastrous defeat.
"In Pakatan, we must be humble. It seemed as though the people are angry, or they wanted to protest or they wanted to teach us a lesson. So learn quickly."
"If we are still continuing with our old ways by showing off power, distributing projects, buying over people and using fake news, this will not help us at all," said Mr Anwar.
He also dismissed speculation that a vote of no-confidence motion would be tabled in Parliament soon.
"It doesn't arise, or I would've known (about the motion). I call Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Mohamad Sabu, Lim Kit Siang and Lim Guan Eng almost every day."
"It does not arise at all because our relationship in Pakatan is strong."
PKR deputy president Azmin Ali, who is also Gombak MP, has been recently criticised by his party colleagues for holding a meeting with Umno and PKR MPs at his official residence in Putrajaya on Monday night.
The meeting was purportedly to ensure that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as Prime Minister continued to get good support from Pakatan and the opposition.
Calls for Dr Mahathir to step down have grown within Pakatan after the coalition suffered a 15,086 majority defeat by BN in the Tanjung Piai by-election.
