The invention discloses a multiway valve operating mechanism and a forklift. The multiway valve operating mechanism comprises a handle, two valve blocks and two solenoid valve groups. Each valve block and each solenoid valve group can control one oil line in a multiway valve to be switched on or off. The handle can be shaken in a front-rear left-right mode and comprises a handle rod and a handle ball. The handle ball is provided with four handle ball buttons. A solenoid valve of each solenoid valve group is electrically connected with a pair of handle ball buttons on the handle ball. By operation on the handle ball buttons, the action of the solenoid valve in the corresponding solenoid valve group can be controlled, and thus the corresponding oil line in the solenoid valve is controlled to be switched on or off. The two valve blocks are a valve block I and a valve block II respectively. The valve block I operates and comprises a valve rod I and a left-right link mechanism, and the valve block II operates and comprises a valve rod II and a front-rear link mechanism. The valve rod I and the valve rod II can be pressed in or stretched in the corresponding valve block of the solenoid valve. The multiway valve operating mechanism is simple to operate, low in manufacturing cost and high in operation comfort and integration, and simultaneous motions of multiple oil lines in the multiway valve can be performed simultaneously.