I believe they do not wish to see a repeat of such an unthinkable episode. Hence, the all-important question – how well prepared is Harapan in avoiding another bickering and unstable administration?

The answer lies with the man who will be Harapan’s second prime minister - that is if Harapan managed to defy the odds and win GE15.

To avoid a lengthy piece here, let me touch on just one important aspect and my key concern in the formation of a new government – that of assembling his first cabinet by the prime minister.

Mahathir’s ploy 

Will Anwar do a Mahathir, when he becomes the prime minister? Selecting his cabinet of ministers is his prerogative as PM, so will he appoint ministers without considering the recommendations of his allies in the DAP and Amanah?

Remembering what Mahathir did? I can recall two incidents when Mahathir acted arbitrarily in exerting his power and without considering the repercussions of his actions.

One, then DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng had announced, during the GE14 campaign, that if Harapan wins, two senior party MPs namely Nga Kor Min and Chong Chieng Jen would become full ministers.

But Mahathir would have none of it, choosing names not recommended by the DAP for cabinet positions, like Yeo Bee Yin, a first-time parliamentarian.

Then, as if to cheekily insult the two male MPs whom he could have a distinct dislike for, he appointed them to junior positions, Nga as deputy Dewan Rakyat speaker and Chong as a deputy minister.

Two, Mahathir also meddled with PKR decisions. He decided to appoint Azmin Ali to the senior position of economic minister even though Azmin had already got himself sworn in as Selangor menteri Besar.

It became clear that this was Mahathir’s ploy to create dissension within PKR and to prevent Anwar from becoming prime minister. What a dirty move, Mahathir!

Another episode which many could clearly recall was the refusal by Mahathir to make way for Anwar after two years as the interim prime minister. I wrote several articles in this column on the issue; one of which I stated that everyone heard it was for two years, except Mahathir.

There is no guarantee that Harapan’s internal tussles will not surface again. Hence, I believe it makes sense for the three coalition partners to agree on a cabinet line-up, before going to the polls.

It is not silly or ridiculous to do so. This is not about jumping the gun or planning for something that has not taken place yet.

It’s okay not to adopt the “win first, then decide” strategy. Be a step ahead, Harapan. Learn from the bitter lessons of GE14.

Can Anwar be trusted once he becomes prime minister? I wouldn’t trust him 100 percent, that’s for sure.

Thinking ahead, what if Anwar decides to ostracise Rafizi Ramli and his team and make life difficult for his newly elected deputy. Assuming PKR wins the most number of seats, Rafizi should be deputy prime minister by convention.

What if Anwar decides to appoint Saifuddin Nasution Ismail as DPM instead? What if Anwar decides to appoint some of his “favoured boys” in PKR, including those known unsavoury characters, into important public positions?

This will likely start another round of internal tussles within the Rafizi and ant-Rafizi camps in the party. A fragmented PKR will prove disastrous for a Harapan government.

My question: Will DAP and Amanah put their feet down should Anwar step out of line as PM? They didn’t during Mahathir’s time. We know what happened then.

This must not happen again. To ensure that the cabinet issue does not give the Harapan administration another early jolt, it’s best for an agreement to be put in place and one which Anwar and PKR must honour.

Because Anwar, the prime minister, owes it to his allies and Malaysians who voted for Harapan to do so.