Mahathir Triggering A Third Constitutional Crisis

Mahathir is trying to pre-empt the decision of the Conference of Rulers tomorrow. He is worried the Conference of Rulers may select Anwar as Prime Minister, or Muhyiddin as the alternative, or may instead dissolve parliament. Either way Mahathir is finished. So, Mahathir is desperately trying to hold on to power by usurping the powers of the Agong and the Conference of Rulers.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

It looks like Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is triggering yet another Constitutional Crisis (not sure if it’s the third, fourth or fifth one — lost count because got so many).

Today, Mahathir had an audience with Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong to propose his new ‘non-partisan’ Cabinet line-up but His Majesty rejected it because Mahathir does not have the majority in Parliament. In fact, Mahathir does not even have the largest minority (Anwar Ibrahim does, followed by those who want parliament to be dissolved).

Mahathir is trying to usurp the powers of the Agong and the Conference of Rulers by convening parliament on 2nd March

His Majesty told Mahathir the matter will be brought before the Conference of Rulers tomorrow to decide who will become Prime Minister, or whether parliament will be dissolved instead.

Mahathir stole the thunder from the Conference of Rulers to announce that a vote of confidence will be tabled in parliament on Monday, 2 March 2020, and he gave the impression that His Majesty had consented to this.

Actually, His Majesty did not consent to this and Mahathir has no legal standing to convene parliament. That comes under the powers of the Agong, not the Prime Minister (and especially not an ‘interim’ Prime Minister).

READ: I’m okay if ‘more lenient’ Muhyiddin gets support for PM’s post, says Dr M

Mahathir is usurping the powers of the Agong and this will not go down well with the Conference of Rulers. But Mahathir is desperate because now Muhyiddin Yassin may be the ‘dark horse’ to become prime minister if Anwar Ibrahim cannot get his ‘magic’ 112 MPs (and Mahathir for sure does not have 112 MPs behind him).

In short, if the 222 MPs cannot agree on whether Mahathir or Anwar should be the Prime Minister, and if it is a deadlock, then Muhyiddin is being proposed as the alternative acceptable to both Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional/Muafakat Nasional.

READ: No Clear Majority, Wait For Dewan Vote, Says Dr M

In the event of a deadlock, Muhyiddin is being proposed as the alternative to Mahathir and Anwar and he may actually get 130 MPs with him

In fact, Muhyiddin was Muafakat Nasional’s original choice last week. And when Mahathir found out that Pakatan Harapan was backing Anwar for Prime Minister, while Muafakat Nasional was backing Muhyiddin, he tried to counter this proposal by proposing Mukhriz instead. But that proposal was rejected, so Mahathir merajuk and resigned as Prime Minister. (That is the real reason why Mahathir resigned over the weekend).

Mahathir is trying to pre-empt the decision of the Conference of Rulers tomorrow. He is worried the Conference of Rulers may select Anwar as Prime Minister, or Muhyiddin as the alternative, or may instead dissolve parliament. Either way Mahathir is finished. So, Mahathir is desperately trying to hold on to power by usurping the powers of the Agong and the Conference of Rulers.