Malaysia Now: Aide recounts Anwar's late night phone call not to challenge Zahid's razor-thin victory in Bagan Datuk

Murray Hunter

Malaysia Now: Aide recounts Anwar's late night phone call not to challenge Zahid's razor-thin victory in Bagan Datuk

The admission by PM's political secretary Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin is set to raise more questions on the events leading to the PKR leaders appointment to the top post.

Oct 14, 2024




Comment: This revelation changes the whole narrative around the so called “unity government”.


Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin (right) says he was asked by Anwar Ibrahim not to challenge Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's victory in Bagan Datuk in order to allow the Umno chief deliver support for PH.

A recent admission by Anwar Ibrahim's political secretary that he was instructed by the PKR president not to seek a recount following Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's narrow victory in Bagan Datuk during the 15th general election has once again brought the events surrounding the formation of the current government two years ago into focus.

Interviewed by a pro-government podcast recently, Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin said he felt something was not right when the counting of votes in the constituency continued past midnight as it became clear that Zahid was trailing in his own stronghold.

"I received a call from Anwar at 2.30am," said Shamsul, the PKR candidate in Bagan Datuk, when asked about his narrow defeat to Zahid by 348 votes.

"What's interesting is that Bagan Datuk only had about sixty thousand voters. The (results) for the other constituencies have already been announced... but in Bagan Datuk, not yet."

He said he was determined to win and was ready to call for a recount of the ballots, a common practice by candidates in case of a narrow lead in the first count.

"At the time, I said we have to fight. We have to make sure we count properly. There were almost 800 spoilt votes. I mean, how could it be? I lost by 348 (votes), so we wanted to continue and fight."

Shamsul, however, said Anwar disagreed.

"He (Anwar) called and said that 'I am impressed with your hard work in Bagan Datuk' and so on.

"'But Sam, we want to form a government. Zahid has already issued a letter to form a government,'" Shamsul told podcast "Apa Cerita?".

Zahid's narrow victory in Bagan Datuk gave the BN a total of 30 seats in the 2022 general election, the coalition's worst electoral performance since it was ousted from power in 2018.

Shamsul said with 82 seats won by Pakatan Harapan (PH), an alliance with BN could achieve a simple majority of 112 seats to form the government.

In the aftermath of the general election, in which no single coalition had a simple majority, Perikatan Nasional (PN) submitted 115 statutory declarations from MPs in support of its chairman Muhyiddin Yassin, fulfilling a deadline set by Istana Negara for political leaders to show their support.

However, the then Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, appointed Anwar as prime minister after Zahid pledged the support of 30 BN MPs for the PH chairman, later followed by Sarawak's GPS which said it was abiding the Agong's call for a stable government.

Shamsul said he doubted Anwar's claim when he was told that PH would get support through Zahid.

"I don't want a repeat of the past when we were played out. People were mocking him, calling him 'PM-in-waiting' and such. This time we wanted to make it happen.

"And he (Anwar) said, 'Yes Sam, we are forming the government'."

Shamsul said he followed Anwar's instruction to concede defeat in Bagan Datuk because he wanted to put the party above himself.

"As I said before, in war you cannot have two generals. The general's order must be obeyed.

"Of course I was sad. We worked very hard and went all out. Surely we wanted to have our personal victory," he added.

Shamsul's revelations confirm a series of reports about Anwar and Zahid's secret alliance long before the 15th general election.