A PPBM return to PH is unlikely – for now, Muhyiddin will survive

Muhyiddin Yassin came to power on the back of the Covid-19 pandemic, with political leaders seen rallying around him.

PETALING JAYA: Political analysts have played down the likelihood of PPBM president Muhyiddin Yassin taking the party back to Pakatan Harapan (PH), the coalition he left before forming the new Perikatan Nasional (PN) government with support from rival parties.

They say the Covid-19 crisis has, at least for now, united the disparate parties in PN, despite recent remarks critical of the government from some Umno leaders.

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s Azmi Hassan said it was true that PPBM need a coalition to survive, be it PH or PN.

“But the problem is PPBM is divided into Muhyiddin’s faction and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s faction,” he said, adding that the latter seemed “more comfortable” with PH.

He said going back to PH as long as the coalition was behind Mahathir was out of the question for Muhyiddin.

PPBM deputy president Mukhriz Mahathir recently said returning to PH was PPBM’s “only choice” for survival, amid suggestions that Muhyiddin’s administration lacked support from Umno whose support had been crucial in forming the new government last March.

Mukhriz had also questioned Muhyiddin’s ability to remain as prime minister after the next general election.

But Azmi said Muhyiddin must find a way to control Umno or PAS in order to survive.

For now, he said the Covid-19 crisis made any coup attempt against Muhyiddin unlikely.

“I doubt very much that Umno or PAS will act against Muhyiddin as what is needed now is a stable government.

“I believe, for the time being, Muhyiddin is safe.”

Universiti Malaya analyst Awang Azman Pawi, meanwhile, said PPBM could only survive if Muhyiddin and Mahathir were on the same page.

“If their relationship remains frosty, PPBM will split. Muhyiddin must now strengthen the party by somehow bringing Mahathir and his supporters to join PN.”

This, he said, was why Muhyiddin needed to formalise PN and introduce a structure so as to neutralise Umno and PAS’ domination through their Muafakat Nasional pact.

The two parties, the largest Malay-based political bodies in the country, inked the so-called charter last year, ending decades of bitter rivalry.

Awang Azman noted that a number of top Umno leaders had come out criticising some of the government’s decisions and policies.

He said Muhyiddin must not completely sideline his former allies, including “DAP leaders who are sincere” in wanting to bring the country forward.

“Without sufficient support, in the face of constant criticism by Umno leaders, it would be difficult for PPBM and Muhyiddin to survive.”

James Chin of the University of Tasmania’s Asia Institute while also ruling out the likelihood of Muhyiddin taking PPBM back to PH, said the prime minister’s survival was not really at risk.

“The present government was a result of the reaction from the Malay ground towards Pakatan Harapan, so I don’t see Muhyiddin returning to PH to form a more multiracial government.

“As for remaining in power, Muhyiddin needs only to appease his critics by appointing them to key posts in the government or government-linked companies.”

Chin said the bigger question was whether PN could survive the next general election with so little time to prepare.

“They must get their act together and avoid disunity, which was one of PH’s major failures,” he said, adding so far, the new ruling coalition had not displayed “real coherence”. - FMT