PETALING JAYA, July 7 (Sin Chew Daily) — The Pakatan Harapan presidential council did not discuss the candidate for deputy prime minister in its meeting Monday.

A reliable source told Sin Chew Daily the two-hour meeting mainly discussed the issue of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as Pakatan Harapan's prime minister-designate.

The source said the meeting went on smoothly.

Democratic Action Party (DAP), Parti Amanah Negara and PKR reached a consensus to support Anwar to lead Pakatan Harapan.

"The meeting did not touch on nominating Parti Warisan Sabah president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal to be the prime minister-designate but how to respond to the "Shafie-Anwar-Mukhriz" line-up.

"DAP and Amanah are aware of PKR's stand. Both DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and Amanah president Mohamad Sabu explained to Anwar during the meeting that they did not agree to support Shafie as prime minister-designate when they met former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

"Mat Sabu also said he met Dr Mahathir alone in an unofficial meeting. He would be with more Amanah leaders if it was an official meeting with Dr Mahathir," said the source.

The source also said the meeting did not mention the role played by Dr Mahathir.

"On the prime minister-designate for Pakatan Harapan, it is no longer Dr Mahathir.

"From now on Pakatan Harapan has handed over the matter for Anwar and others including Shafie to negotiate on how to regain people's mandate given to Pakatan Harapan on the 14th general election," said the source.

After the "Mahathir-Anwar" proposal failed, Mahathir suggested the "Shafie-Anwar-Mukhriz".

The Pakatan Harapan presidential council also agreed to designate spokespersons to monitor government's policies, also known as shadow cabinet. 

Pakatan Harapan would be drafting a list of spokespersons before Dewan Rakyat sitting resumes on July 13 to play its role as the opposition.

PKR has earlier released a list of 19 parliamentary spokespersons taking charge of different portfolios to monitor the Perikatan Nasional government.