Yoursay: Muhyiddin’s buying of time does not give confidence

Yoursay | ‘That's a very long period, 70 days between the original date of resumption (March 9) and the new date (May 18)...’

Speaker: March 9 Dewan Rakyat sitting moved to May 18

SR Man: Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, why postpone the Parliament sitting? The Agong appointed you as the new PM premised on the opinion of His Royal Highness that you would likely enjoy majority confidence among the Dewan Rakyat members.

And with the backing of 114 MPs you claim to have, you should have the sitting convened as soon as possible so as to secure the majority backing from the MPs and then proceed to form the cabinet. That would earn you much respect.

Rather it was indicated that you would want to form the cabinet first. Should you be defeated in a vote of confidence, what would happen to the cabinet? Dissolved? Such a waste of precious time and resources. Everything will be back to square one.

With the economy tanking and the deadly virus spreading fast, we have no more time to lose. Do the right and courageous thing, Muhyiddin. You have nothing to lose. After all, you did say that you did not want to be the PM.

Shovel Nose: That's a very long period, 70 days between the original date of resumption (March 9) and the new date (May 18), if not postponed further. Can the country be on autopilot for this long when we are facing a health and financial crisis?

Any cabinet and ministry formed will be questionable along with any policy decisions that the government makes, untested by support in the House. The buying of time does not give confidence to the market at all.

Annonnymous 080: Given such an active week of jostling and genuine concern that the PM doesn’t have the majority, shouldn’t Muhyiddin be asked to seek an immediate vote of confidence?

The Constitution is outdated for current needs and we should seek amendment so that a vote of confidence is always done at Dewan Rakyat before the successful one be allowed to present his credentials to the palace.

Fair Mind: Our national coffers is empty, Covid-19 is looming, the stock market is in ICU (intensive care unit), can Malaysia afford a delayed sitting of Parliament of another two months?

At first, I thought Dr Mahathir Mohamad was bluffing that he said he has the support of 113 MPs. Indeed, this delay clearly shows the coalition government is illegitimate as it is afraid to take a confidence vote.

Black Thorn: What do you expect? A backdoor government full of traitors, turncoats, extremists and liars can only delay Parliament sitting to their advantage.

Meanwhile, people are facing hardships and uncertainties due to the spread of Covid-19 and political insanity.

Right now, this unsavoury government is fighting for their political survival knowing most Malaysians don’t support the way they hijacked the government from Pakatan Harapan. They will not show their numbers until they get their numbers of frogs switching sides.

So this delay of Parliament sitting is more for them to buy time to set things to their advantage.

Hang Babeuf: Once a new PM is appointed and installed, the proper parliamentary procedure and process is that the appointee should, as required, prove his numbers on the floor of the House at the earliest possible opportunity, without yet having any cabinet in place or ministers available to field questions at Question Time.

Had Mahathir not resigned, he might have called his own confidence vote fast, on his own terms, and in that way flushed out the usurpers before they were ready to show their hand.

But to have been able to do that, he would have needed, rather than resigning in rage and pique, to have gone back to the Harapan presidential council and to have made, and solemnised, with them (minus ex-PKR Azmin Ali and co) a “New Harapan Covenant”.

He did not do that. He resigned. In doing so, he surrendered that opportunity to call others to account on his terms. His resignation was the greatest tactical blunder and miscalculation of his long career.

It may well prove to be the final act, the last move in a long game of political chess that has now in all likelihood ended.

Martha: Is this right? Can this be done? Our learned people in law, please assist us in this matter. Is Muhyiddin allowed to do this?

What the rakyat want is to call for a Parliament sitting to establish once and for all, who is the legitimate government of the day. To wait two months is definitely preposterous.

Can one imagine the wheeling and dealing that will be going on in the meantime?

The Wakandan: Fortunately, or unfortunately, they can do that. The time limit is six months for Parliament to be in session.

In this case, it is to give Muhyiddin time to do some conjuring. He has to be a magician to produce the MPs that he does not have, like plucking the rabbit from the hat.

Another Komentar: Tactically, it’s not just getting more MPs to cross over (which they will almost certain to get) but also to destabilise Harapan-controlled states and undermine whatever cohesion of the Harapan coalition.

Mahathir and his followers will return to Bersatu and the backdoor government will be forced on Malaysia.

Sarawakian: The battle for Malaysia has already started and it will end long before Parliament convenes in May.

And the mother of all battles will be fought within Bersatu. Even if a fraction of Bersatu MP's switch sides, the Agong will be asked to convene a special parliamentary sitting for a confidence vote, or Muhyiddin will have to resign.

If the status quo is maintained till May 18, we can be assured that the deep state and kleptocrats have won.

Now we will have the opportunity of see the stuff the so-called Malay reformists are made of. The stuff of Bersatu leaders Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman and Maszlee Malik, or the stuff of Muhyiddin.

At stake are the 26 MPs and the supreme council of Bersatu. Mahathir is a veteran of many such battles within Umno, but this time there are too many imponderables.

Added to the uncertainty will be the roles of very powerful and wealthy members of the deep state, and whether the royalty is impartial.

And not to mention, Mahathir’s advanced age. However, the tanking economy, political turmoil, and the fight for cabinet posts will aid Mahathir.

Em Em Kay: Honourable speaker Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof, please be aware that during the 2009 Perak state constitutional crisis, some extraordinary events took place on the floor of the assembly, where the speaker of the Perak state legislative assembly was unlawfully and forcibly removed or rather carried away together with the chair.

Please ensure that a similar act of carrying you away from the speaker’s chair will not occur. - Mkini