Taki must go and if he has dignity, PM should too, says analyst

 

All eyes will now be on the government bench to see if any MPs had changed their mind about supporting the government after the King was bypassed in the revocation of the emergency ordinances. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Law minister Takiyuddin Hassan must resign after the revelation that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong had not consented to the revocation of the emergency ordinances, says an analyst.

“Heads have to roll,” said Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs. “Misleading the house is very serious. Takiyuddin must go.”

“If Muhyiddin Yassin has any sense of dignity in him, he should also resign because Takiyuddin’s statement was made on behalf of the government.”

Oh said Takiyuddin may have just been following orders, but the fact that the words came from the minister’s mouth meant that he had to take political responsibility.

He added that the prime minister would likely attempt to hold onto power for as long as possible, but he would have to “sacrifice” either Takiyuddin or Attorney-General Idrus Harun.

Academic Azmi Hassan said it was clear that somebody had to take responsibility for the “huge blunder” of misleading Parliament and painting the King in a bad light. This could even include the entire Cabinet if everyone was aware of it, he added.

However, Azmi said it remains to be seen whether the prime minister could offer a valid explanation of what had transpired.

“This is a very serious matter because it involves the Istana Negara, Malay rulers and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. I think it is very sad that it has come to this point,” he said.

Merdeka Center’s Ibrahim Suffian said it was time for a confidence motion against the prime minister given the current quagmire, although it would be likely shot down by the Parliament speaker.

He also said all eyes should be on the government bench and those who had supported the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government to see if they have changed their minds.

Ibrahim said while the calls for the prime minister to resign have been pushed by Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, nothing has taken place due to disunity among its MPs.

He said, however, given the latest development, Umno’s previous support for PN remains uncertain.

“We have not been here before as a country. Perhaps the PN government needs to take a few steps back and decide what to do next,” he said.

“The Agong’s statement was strong and has left a negative impact on the PM’s image. What are the next steps is yet to be seen, things seem unclear now.”

Universiti Utara Malaysia’s Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani said the Agong’s statement today was a message to all MPs to rectify the issues concerning the revocation of the emergency ordinance and to find ways to rectify the problem.

“The PN government must clarify if they have followed the law in revoking the EO. It is all up to the MPs to decide what is next.” - FMT