Anwar predicts Pakatan Rakyat will win GE13 with majority of more than 10 seats

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Pakatan leaders at the event.

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has predicted that Pakatan Rakyat will win GE13 with a Parliamentary majority of more than 10 seats and control at least six of the nation’s 13 states in an interview with Bloomberg.

Pakatan will probably retain Penang, Selangor, Kelantan and Kedah states, Anwar said. It will also regain Perak, win Negeri Sembilan for the first time and make inroads in Johor, he said, Bloomberg reported.

The opposition leader was less certain about prospects in Sabah in light of a recent insurgency.

He also claimed that his government would liberalise newspaper licences on the first day of governing.

Policy priorities within the first 100 days would include education, corruption and government procurement. No retribution would be taken against past leaders, including Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who sacked him in 1998, he said, Bloomberg reported.

“I don’t want to sound over-confident, but I believe looking into the trend now it will be a comfortable majority,” the 65-year-old politician said. “Beyond 10 is comfortable.”

Prime Minister Najib Razak must dissolve parliament for polls by April 28, after which an election must be held within 60 days.

Anwar said he would give the job of Finance Minister to someone else if he becomes prime minister.

“Having experienced eight years as finance minister, I know it’s very taxing,” said Anwar. “You cannot have a prime minister as finance minister. You won’t have time when you have forex problem, dealing with the Securities Commission.”

Pakatan hasn’t decided who would be finance minister nor other cabinet posts, he said.

“For Najib, it’s very, very precarious because if he loses he’d be out, and if he wins with a narrow margin they’d force him out,” Anwar said. “He’d be removed either way.”