Guan Eng thought GPS was backing Anwar, says report

Lim Guan Eng (centre) says he was campaigning in Sabah when Anwar Ibrahim called him about his plan. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng says he was under the impression that PKR president Anwar Ibrahim had managed to convince Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) to join forces with Pakatan Harapan.

According to a Malaysiakini report, Lim, who was campaigning in Sabah, said Anwar informed him of his plans moments before making his announcement at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur that he had the numbers to form a new government.

At his press conference yesterday, Anwar also said the Yang di-Pertuan Agong had consented to grant him an audience, although this had to be postponed after the king was admitted to the National Heart Institute (IJN) on Monday.

“He gave the impression that he had GPS supporting him to have a comfortable majority. With GPS, it should be at least 120 MPs,” Lim was quoted as saying.

Following Anwar’s announcement, GPS released a media statement denying any involvement in Anwar’s plan and reiterated its undivided support for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s administration.

Later, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi revealed that many MPs from the party were supporting Anwar, despite other Umno leaders, including Zahid’s deputy Mohamad Hasan, dismissing Anwar’s announcement as a “gimmick”.

Lim told Malaysiakini that another party other than GPS joining forces with PH was “unexpected”.

“I just want to say this, we expected it to be GPS. When (people) talked about other parties, it was something unexpected,” he said, adding he could not discuss the matter with Anwar in detail as the line was bad and not secured.

The report also quoted DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang as saying Anwar had previously assured him that no deals would be made with controversial figures in Umno.

“Anwar assured me that he was not contacting former Umno leaders like Najib (Najib Razak) and Zahid nor the PAS leadership in the attempt to regain the people’s mandate which was illegitimately robbed in the ‘Sheraton Move’ conspiracy in February 2020 which toppled the 22-month Pakatan Harapan government,” he said.

Kit Siang also said he had not been in contact with Anwar since arriving in Sabah for campaigning on Sept 14 and that Anwar’s announcement was “as much a surprise to me as to anyone else”.

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