Shafie Apdal: Agong can end doubt by ordering Muhyiddin to test majority

 

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Council of Rulers can order the prime minister to prove his majority in Parliament to end doubts on his Perikatan Nasional (PN) government's legitimacy, Mohd Shafie Apdal said.

In an interview with Malaysiakini, the Warisan president suggested that it is the only way left, given that officials who run Parliament have suppressed motions of no confidence from being tabled against Muhyiddin Yassin.

"Right now, we cannot change the government through Parliament. We can't even have a vote of no confidence because the session does not allow for it and because the speaker does not allow the motion to be tabled.

"So, how else would we know if the government of the day has it (the majority) or not when this agenda (no-confidence vote) is not accepted?

"The only way now is when the Yang di-Pertuan Agong says that he wants to see it proven," Shafie said in the interview held yesterday.

The legitimacy of PN as the federal government has come into question after several ruling party MPs openly declared the withdrawal of their support for Muhyiddin, who is known to be clinging on to a thin majority since he was sworn into office in March last year.

However, attempts to make Muhyiddin prove that he commands enough support in the Dewan Rakyat have not been successful, primarily because its speaker Azhar Azizan Harun, who was chosen by Muhyiddin, kept putting motions of no confidence at the bottom of the agenda list - and which ends up not being tabled.

According to Shafie, there have been many examples where monarchs have stepped in to make sitting leaders prove their numbers and thus, their legitimacy.

He cited the 2009 constitutional crisis in Perak, which ended when the sultan of Perak met with state assemblypersons before he decided that Pakatan Rakyat Menteri Besar Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin had ceased to command the confidence of the majority members of the State Legislative Assembly. 

Shafie said that a power struggle had also taken place in the United Kingdom, after it's then prime minister David Cameron resigned, where there was no clear majority in its Parliament between Theresa May and Boris Johnson.

"This has led Queen Elizabeth to interfere, where she told Parliament to make a decision, even if it is a minority government.

"And now we are seeing similar things in Tunisia, where the government there is a minority government, but it functions well," he added.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin

The former Sabah chief minister said it is important that a stable government takes over from PN, which he claimed has failed to manage the country during the Covid-19 pandemic.

All members of the opposition are on the same page on the matter, he added, in that they agree PN has to be replaced. 

Shafie mooted an interim government that is united and stable to govern the country until the situation is safe to return the mandate to the people.

"The people's confidence in the leaders, the government is very important. But today, they have no confidence in PN.

"If we all can agree to put the people's interest and the country first, then we can succeed to form an administration of a unity (government), on an interim basis."

Shafie added: "Maybe for six months, or a year, or until the expiry of the Parliament term. But the focus would be on handling the Covid-19 and economic crisis. 

"After that, when the number of people who have been vaccinated is enough, then we hold an election. The rakyat will determine who will be in power." - Mkini