Report: Name for new coalition government still in the works, says Amanah president

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 1 — Parti Amanah Negara president Mohamad Sabu has said a name for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s coalition government consisting of Pakatan Harapan (PH), Barisan Nasional (BN) and several political entities aligned with the administration is still in the works.

Mohamad was quoted saying as such by Malaysiakini during an election ceramah held in Rompin, Pahang yesterday.

“Our cooperation is still being negotiated. The child that has been born doesn’t have a name yet.

“But our team is in discussions with BN, PH and others what to name our coalition.

“We leave it to the leadership,” Mohamad said.

Mohamad had earlier attended the ceramah to stump for BN’s candidate Mohd Johari Hussain who is contesting the Tioman state seat.

Polling for the Tioman state seat for the 15th general election was postponed to December 7 following the death of Perikatan Nasional (PN) candidate Md Yunus Ramli a few hours before polling began on November 19.

It remains unclear if the new coalition will be known purely in name or as a fully-registered entity under the Registrar of Societies.

BN chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had on November 29 said the cooperation with PH on the federal level is based on the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s decree for the formation of a unity government.

PH won the most seats of any coalition in the November 19 general election but was still short of the 112 needed for a simple majority to form a government on its own.

After several days of negotiations, it finally reached an agreement for a coalition federal government with BN and Gabungan Parti Sarawak, with Gabungan Rakyat Sabah and Parti Warisan joining later.

Similarly, in the three states that held concurrent state and national elections, BN and PH reached an agreement to collaborate with each other.

The PN coalition won enough seats to take control of the Perlis government.