Azalina shares tips on forming coalition gov't

Penggerang MP Azalina Othman Said has weighed in on Umno's role in the formation of the coalition government in Putrajaya for the third day in a row.

Azalina was one of several Umno figures who have made nuanced and public observations about the composition of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's cabinet which was formed on Monday.

In her latest Twitter posting today, Azalina outlined 10 steps on "How to set up a coalition government 101".

"Step 1: Get the best NEGOTIATOR in town on your side," wrote Azalina (emphasis is hers).

It is not sure who was Umno's negotiator in the formation of Muhyiddin's cabinet although it was likely to be party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

On Feb 24, then Umno secretary-general Annuar Musa had publicly revealed that the party's supreme council had given Zahid the mandate to make any decision on behalf of the party in the interest of the country.

Written agreement

For "Step 3", Azalina reiterated her what she said two days ago in that cabinet positions should be proportionally representative of the coalition's composition.

"A pie chart would be very useful and easy on the eyes," she wrote.

Significantly, Azalina's "Step 4" suggested that there should be a "coalition government shared agenda and policies agreement" in writing.

So far, Muhyiddin's government has not indicated that the coalition has any form of a written agreement.

Yesterday, Umno's supreme council publicly issued six demands for Muhyiddin's government.

Azalina's other tips were to negotiate vigorously and to not "give up so easily lah" and that the dominance of any "one party" should be reduced.

In concluding, Azalina also recommended that the negotiator must include an exit clause.

"PS: don't forget to include a shootout clause," she wrote.

'Focus on implementation'

When contacted by Malaysiakini for clarification, Azalina said she was commenting as an MP and lawyer. She was not privy to the negotiations, she added.

"I don't know if there is a written agreement. I hope there is one," she said.

"I wrote based on my observation on what transpired in recent weeks. It is what I wished should have happened. In most countries, (post-election) coalition governments don't last.

"Why? Because it is a marriage of convenience between multiple parties with differing ideologies."

Azalina stressed that what was most important now was that the new coalition government remained sustainable and implemented its policies.

Bersatu currently holds disproportionately more cabinet and deputy minister positions relative to the number of Dewan Rakyat seats in the coalition that comprises Umno, PAS and GPS.

This has led to complaints by the likes of Johor Bahru Umno division head Shahrir Samad, Umno supreme council member Tajuddin Abdul Rahman and even Annuar himself, who was appointed a cabinet minister.

After the Umno supreme council meeting yesterday, Zahid had defended the composition of Muhyiddin's cabinet.

Zahid said Umno will serve a "check and balance" role against Muhyiddin's government.

 - Mkini