Muhyiddin falls on his sword

 

TAN SRI Muhyiddin Yassin (pic) has managed to pull many rabbits out of the hat in his quest to hold on to power.

But the Prime Minister may have run out of tricks after that disastrous live TV telecast where he tried to sway the Opposition to his side with a basketful of reform promises that were roundly rejected.

It is still unclear who or what inspired him to make such a blunder on national TV but it has brought his political career to a staggering end.

There is still no official word about him resigning but the widespread conclusion is that it is over for him.

It is ironic that the man who rode into power in a political coup is now about to exit in an equally controversial game of numbers.

It has been a tumultuous month for his government as he struggled to hold on and to do his work while external forces tried everything in the book to unseat him.

Our Malaysian politicians may have added a new chapter in Sun Tzu's Art of War.

There have been endless meetings with different groups, from morning to evening, at his Bukit Damansara house the past few days.

Resigning is still a sensitive word for the circle around Muhyiddin, who have asked inquisitive media people to "wait till Monday".

"He has tried his best to defend the government to the extent of working with the Opposition.

"But he is a seasoned leader. He has reached a point where he does not need to be told what will happen next," said Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia deputy president Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu.

It is understood that Muhyiddin will have an audience with the King on Monday and he will also make a special public address.

All ministers and deputy ministers have been instructed to clear out their offices by this weekend.

The Cabinet will have to resign along with him.

But will the government also collapse like what happened in Perak after Ahmad Faizal was ousted as Mentri Besar?

It took almost a week for the state government to reconfigure and get back on its feet.

The coming week will be full of drama and uncertainty.

"Muhyiddin has been very calm. Whatever happens, his priority is that the government remains stable.

"The (Perikatan Nasional) component parties are intact and that includes Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri's group. The aim is to ensure that the government can continue to serve," said Senior Minister Datuk Seri Azmin Ali.

Azmin, who is also International Trade and Industry Minister, was on the way to a meeting involving Bersatu leaders when contacted.

"Whatever action he takes, we are with him. We cannot let him take the blame alone," said Azmin.

Well-placed sources in the government said that senior figures from each party and group in the government have been assigned to ensure that their MPs do not bolt or run off.

Muhyiddin would want to be magnanimous and leave behind a functioning structure of sorts.

He would not want to see the government disintegrate in the wake of his exit.

However, the trouble is that the outgoing leader has limited say in what happens after he is gone.

Political bargaining and lobbying takes over as deals are struck by political warlords.

According to insider accounts, the next prime minister will likely come from Umno while the deputy prime minister will be from Bersatu – that is, if the component parties return to the fold.

"The presidents of all parties will have a say but the ball is basically in the King's court," said Umno supreme council member Datuk Seri Johari Ghani.

The Federal Constitution allows the King complete discretion to decide who has the numbers to become the next prime minister.

"If neither side has the numbers, Malaysia may have to come around to the idea of a unity government to reduce the politicking and bring down the temperature," said Johari.

Muhyiddin started on good footing but, like many other governments all over the world, he struggled to manage the Covid-19 pandemic and his enemies exploited the government's handling of the situation.

Muhyiddin can rightly blame Umno for derailing his government by pulling out its MPs but, Kok Lanas assemblyman Datuk Seri Alwi Che Ahmad said the last straw was the Prime Minister's missteps with the palace.

"Despite his experience as the Johor MB, he did not seem able to deal with the palace," said Alwi.

Muhyiddin is not the only casualty in the political crisis.

He caused a split in the Umno leadership. Those who chose to align with him are being maligned by the party's grassroots.

The PAS leadership was also terribly upset with Muhyiddin's overtures to Pakatan Harapan. There would have been a rebellion in the PAS rank-and-file had Pakatan actually come on board.

In the end, Muhyiddin fell on his own sword.

From Datuk Seri Najib Razak to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to Muhyiddin – three prime ministers have fallen since March 2018.

We are living in interesting times and more uncertainty lies ahead. - Star