Four states down, three more to go

Johor, Perak, Malacca and Kedah have fallen. That’s four down.

Should anyone be surprised that Negri Sembilan, Sabah and Selangor are on Perikatan Nasional’s next “hit list”? That’s three more to go.

'Tis the season for turncoats and traitors, or frogs or katak, as they are better, and more despicably, known locally.

To me, they are nothing but parasites and low-life politicians who have no business being in the honourable profession we call politics.

How did we end up with such miserable, wayward characters in our august legislative chambers? Did we just wake up from a bad dream?

Believe me, PN is hungry for more. I do not have an iota of doubt that Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin will now show no mercy. He is no longer the “voice of reason” or the loyal deputy to Dr Mahathir Mohamad we thought he was.

Didn’t we hear Mahathir recalling how, on that fateful day of Feb 24, Muhyiddin told him that “principles are not important, this is politics”?

Neither do I think Muhyiddin has any conscience left in him, even as he has conceded that “this is not the government you voted for”.

It has been said that “Power changes people, not necessarily for the better”; and I must add that “it’s for the worst, in most cases”.

Muhyiddin, who we now know wanted to be prime minister even before GE14, is such a classic case. He has the coveted job in the bag now and he will do whatever it takes to keep it.

It’s also valid and true, in the Malaysian context, that when some have power, they do not know how to handle it. Ask Pakatan Harapan what the hell happened when they were in power.

I hope Harapan leaders have now awakened from their drunken stupor, after being intoxicated with power for 22 months. Isn’t it a real shame that they didn’t even know what hit them?

My fair warning to Harapan leaders

Today, I wish to register my fair warning to Harapan leaders in Negri Sembilan and Selangor as well as Parti Warisan in Sabah. Watch your back. PN daggers are sharpened and ready for the kill. There are traitors in your midst. By now, you should know who they are.

Johore was the first state to fall after the backdoor PN government took office on March 1. This was followed by Malacca and Perak. Kedah was the latest state to be hijacked this past week, with poor Mukhriz Mahathir being shown the door of the menteri besar’s office for the second time in four years.

I hope Negri Sembilan Menteri Besar Aminuddin Harun will be better prepared and learn from the Kedah debacle.

On May 18, members of the Negri Sembilan state executive council reiterated their support for him following talk that some Harapan assemblymen were planning to jump ship.

Aminuddin (above) must bear in mind what Mukhriz had revealed in his farewell press conference on May 17: about being deeply hurt after “friends” betrayed him.

Mukhriz said the state reps had earlier pledged their support for him to continue as menteri besar until the end of his term in 2023. Didn’t I say previously that, in politics, trust no one, not even yourself!

The domino effect following the collapse of four Harapan state governments over the past three months cannot be ruled out. The fall of the four states was, in fact, a domino effect after the Harapan federal government collapsed in late February.

It must be noted that the four states which were toppled were ruled by Harapan with a marginal majority. Kedah and Malacca had only a two-seat majority under Harapan.

Although Negeri Sembilan has a larger four-seat majority, Aminuddin must keep his team on a tight leash. Where there are Bersatu and PKR representatives? Nothing can be as certain as night and day.

The same is true of Selangor. I would think that the DAP and Amanah state representatives are unlikely to jump ship, but the same cannot be said of those from Bersatu and PKR.

There is also the Azmin Ali (below) factor in Selangor, which Harapan must be wary of. Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari got his plum job via Azmin and there is little doubt where his loyalty lies.

Many were surprised that Amirudin decided to stay loyal to Harapan – but it could be because the MB’s post was too big a sacrifice to let go. Or he could just be buying time – for the ultimate betrayal, perhaps.

Harapan should do well to keep a close eye on the menteri besar because you will never know when the shrewd and ruthless Azmin will make his move on Selangor.

In Sabah, Chief Minister Mohd Shafie Apdal is also getting the jitters. In a state synonymous with political frogs, the likelihood of crossovers should not be dismissed.

As in Negeri Sembilan, Harapan state representatives have also pledged their support and loyalty to Shafie in recent days, an indication that the state government is also on shaky ground.

Then, there is also talk of unhappiness among Sabahans with certain Warisan leaders who were once investigated for corruption.

One positive sign on Warisan’s side is that many had also praised Shafie’s stand to stick with his Harapan allies, noting that it was the honourable thing to do as it is in keeping with the people’s GE14 mandate.

These are uneasy and turbulent times for Malaysian politics. After all that had happened since February, nothing in politics should surprise us at all.

Will you be surprised if more states are swallowed up by PN? I’ll not be.

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FRANCIS PAUL SIAH heads the Movement for Change, Sarawak (MoCS) and can be reached at sirsiah@gmail.com. - Mkini