KUALA LUMPUR, March 17 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim should focus on galvanising the Opposition as a bloc instead of making overtures to political rivals with questionable credentials, several Opposition politicians said today.

In a joint statement, Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub, Datuk Mohd Azis Jamman, Liew Chin Tong, Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman and Baru Bian urged Anwar to strive for cooperation with those that share common ideals to restore the country’s economic health after the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Facing this challenge, we urge Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to strengthen the Opposition bloc and reject any cooperation with kleptocrats. Any cooperation with any party must be built based on this principle,” the five said.

They urged the PKR president to reject any cooperation with parties in the ruling Perikatan Nasional (PN) and those they described as "kleptocrats”, without naming anyone in particular.

"Malaysia has undergone a year of failures by the Perikatan Nasional administration. Facing this administrative incompetence and economic management during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Opposition bloc needs to cooperate among parties and MPs to bring about an agenda to restore the country,” they said.

They claimed that in terms of economical, health, and political crises, the PN government has not shown a clear direction or produced plans to that effect.

"This should be utilised by the Opposition bloc by forming a coalition based on the rakyat-centric agenda.

"As PN has failed to prove its competence and willpower, the bloc must take it upon themselves to show leadership by arranging for policies and initiatives aimed at helping the rakyat at large,” the five lawmakers said.

Salahuddin is Parti Amanah Negara deputy president and Liew is DAP national political education director. Both are members of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition that includes PKR.

Azis is Parti Warisan Sabah Youth chief which is allied to PH while Syed Saddiq is Ikatan Demokratik Malaysia co-founder, and Baru is Parti Sarawak Bersatu presidential council member.