Between Sheratocrats or Kleptocrats, Malaysians deserve better

 

ADUN SPEAKS | I totally concur with the quick decision by Pakatan Harapan that they would not accept the open bribery by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to remain in office.

I was right in saying from the beginning that Muhyiddin never had the majority right from the days of the “Sheraton Move”. For the last one year or so, he merely pretended that he had the majority.

In fact, he never had it to start with. It was just the benefit of the doubt given to him.

The emergency rule was imposed not to stem the tide of the pandemic but to prolong the stay of Muhyiddin’s illegitimate government. However, his pretensions and excuses for staying in power have come to complete naught.

After the 14 Umno MPs withdrew their support, Muhyiddin has no choice or room to manoeuvre.

All the stunts and political drama enacted by Deputy Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob have fizzled in the attempt to establish a parliamentary majority.

Muhyiddin has now openly admitted that he has lost the majority and sought bipartisan support on the basis of a few concessions to the opposition such as increased allocations, the promise to pass the anti-hopping legislation, and to call for a general election by July 2022.

The man behind the bold “Sheraton Move” has been reduced to tatters to the extent of asking the opposition to give him a second chance.

His inducement for bipartisan support might have endeared him to some in the opposition. There is the feeling that Muhyiddin should be given a chance to take measures against the pandemic and most importantly prevent the kleptocrats in Umno from seizing power.

The question of a second chance for Muhyiddin does not rise at all when he was the principal person who systematically and diabolically undermined the Harapan government.

Did Muhyiddin offer a second chance to the very government that gave him power and position? In fact, he wasted no time in the removal of the Harapan government precipitated by the resignation of then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohammed.

Whether the kleptocrats in Umno can come to power remains to be seen. But with their past misdeeds relating to corruption, financial scandals, and impending court cases, it is difficult to see them politically bounce back.

Things are fluid at the moment to draw up any kind of firm conclusions. As they say, politics is the art of the possible. Unthinkable political alliances could result in the formation of a new government.

It is not that Malaysians do not have choices or options. It is just that these have to be imagined creatively to effect possible outcomes.

The best or the only option for Muhyiddin is to admit that he has no majority and tender his resignation to make a graceful exit. He created the mess, he must end it.

At least Muhyiddin can retire to relish the thought that he was definitely not the worst prime minister Malaysia had.

There is no necessity for Muhyiddin to make a last ditch effort to prolong his stay in office. Why delay with inducements to the opposition? I don’t think that the opposition would be fooled this time around by the Sheratocrats (those behind the Sheraton Move).

Malaysians cannot be presented with a choice between the devil and the deep blue sea, that is, between the Sheratocrats and the Kleptocrats.

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is keen to settle the political question with the necessary constitutional powers to choose a leader who could become the next prime minister. A leader with the support of the majority might be the natural choice.

It doesn’t have to be someone from either the “Sheratocrats” or the “Kleptocrats”.

Harapan can still aspire for power with their seizable number with the addition of others who are willing to cooperate to oust the Perikatan Nasional government once and for all.

The message is simple: there is no reason for Muhyiddin to dilly dally thinking that he would get support from the opposition and others.

Even the mosquito party Pejuang has taken a strong stand against Muhyiddin not because he has lost the majority but hoping that there is a window of opportunity for its chairperson Mahathir to become prime minister for the third time.

Anyway, there is no end to “madness” in Malaysian politics. - Mkini

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RAMASAMY PALANISAMY is Perai assemblyperson and deputy chief minister II of Penang.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.