‘We will not work with Pakatan’

KUALA LUMPUR: Perikatan Nasional is sticking by its stand that it will not work with Pakatan Harapan, says Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

The Perikatan chairman said it had declined a suggestion by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to form a unity government with Pakatan because it had always been the coalition’s stand not to cooperate with Pakatan.

“We had discussed the matter earlier.

“We will not cooperate with Pakatan and that is the coalition’s stand from then until today no matter what the purpose,” Muhyiddin told a press conference outside his house in Bukit Damansara here yesterday evening.

Muhyiddin added that he was asked to sign a letter if he agreed to the idea of a unity government and had signed.

However, he also indicated that he did not agree to the idea.

He also showed a stack of forms to the media, saying it was evidence that when he had submitted statutory declarations to Istana Negara on Monday, he had had the support of 115 MPs.

“We also have a letter from Datuk Nazim Mohd Alim, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s private secretary, confirming receipt of the documents.“I want to show proof that when we submitted, our numbers exceeded 112, which is more than what is required under the Federal Constitution,” Muhyiddin explained.

“We were confident that we could form the government.

“But when I met the King, it was revealed that our numbers were not enough.

“I don’t know the reasons, but the evidence is here,” Muhyiddin said.

The King had earlier summoned both Muhyiddin and Pakatan chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to Istana Negara here at 4.30pm yesterday because no coalition had the majority.

Comptroller of the Royal Household Datuk Seri Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin said that Istana Negara had on Tuesday received information from various political parties on their stand in forming the Federal Government.

Pakatan has the most seats with 82, including one won by its ally Muda, while Perikatan has 73 seats.