PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his deputy, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, were all smiles at today’s Cabinet meeting despite growing tensions between Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) amid the Negeri Sembilan state election campaign.
Anwar and Zahid, the chairmen of PH and BN, respectively, entered the conference room engaged in what appeared to be a lighthearted conversation, based on photos posted on the prime minister’s Facebook page.
Other BN and PH ministers were also present, including DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu, DAP deputy chairman Nga Kor Ming, BN secretary-general Zambry Abdul Kadir and Umno vice-president Khaled Nordin.
The meeting comes a day after Zahid said Anwar could sack the eight ministers from BN if he did not like them, in response to the prime minister saying that ministers who attack their government colleagues on the campaign trail should step down.
Anwar had also included a poem in his Facebook post, in which he appeared to play down the tensions between PH and BN.
“Though we may take different steps, let our friendship live on. As long as there is consensus, we remain on the same path,” the PKR president said.
Zahid, the Umno president, played a key role in Anwar’s appointment as prime minister after the 2022 general election which resulted in a hung Parliament, leading BN’s 30 MPs in backing the PH chairman.
Anwar is currently backed by 151 MPs comprising 77 from PH, 30 from BN, 23 from Gabungan Parti Sarawak, seven from Gabungan Rakyat Sabah, and several others from other parties and independent MPs.
