Three months ago, defections had incinerated Pakatan Harapan's 22-month-old reign and from its ashes, a new political coalition was born – Perikatan Nasional (PN).
However, critics have dismissed the nascent alliance as a “backdoor government” for undermining the people's mandate in the last general election.
Umno supreme council member Azalina Othman Said claimed this argument does not hold water since PN's rise to power happened within the ambit of the Federal Constitution.
“I think 'backdoor government' is a misnomer when describing the PN government as it is a legal government. This has been explained by many constitutional experts, including Prof Shad Saleem Faruqi,” she told Malaysiakini in an email interview.
The Pengerang MP pointed out that the collapse of the Harapan government was due to former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad's resignation on Feb 24, which she described as “unexpected”.
“In a parliamentary democracy, when a prime minister resigns, his cabinet inevitably has to resign in order to make way for the appointment of a new prime minister and a new cabinet.
“Since a successor was not named by the 7th prime minister (Mahathir), the Yang di-Pertuan Agong assumed his constitutional duty to exercise his discretion under Article 40 of the Federal Constitution. The appointment of Tan Sri Muhyiddin (Yassin) as the 8th prime minister is in line with article 40(2)(a) and Article 43(2)(a).
“In my opinion, public criticism levelled against PN as a backdoor government is an 'expired' argument since the 8th prime minister is a constitutional appointment,” added the lawyer-turned-politician.
More than a decade earlier, PKR president Anwar Ibrahim (photo) had also planned to usurp federal power from BN in the aftermath of the 2008 general election, claiming that a substantial number of the then ruling coalition's lawmakers would cross over into the opposition pact.
However, the Sept 16 political coup did not materialise.
Voters may vote for individual candidates
Azalina also shared her thoughts on whether PN, comprising Bersatu, BN and PAS as well as supported by the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), would be able to present an attractive option for the voters in the next general election.
“As for now, PN is an informal coalition. A formal written agreement which stipulates the rights and responsibilities of coalition partners should have been first on the agenda of any coalition government.
“In my personal opinion, the manner in which a coalition government presents itself as a governance institution that can be identified by all strata of society will determine the sustainability of the coalition.
“To be an 'attractive option', the coalition's shared ideology and joint manifesto must also take into account that voters may no longer find party-led ideologies attractive. It is also possible that voters may vote for individual candidates rather than party-based candidates in the future,” she added.
The former minister, however, declined to comment on Umno deputy president Mohamad Hassan's statement that the cooperation with Bersatu was only to resolve a crisis.
With regards to DAP lawmaker Ong Kian Ming's prediction that PN would fall apart before the next national polls, Azalina offered a sarcastic retort: “I would like to congratulate YB Ong for his newfound talent as a fortune teller.”
Cracks have appeared in the PN coalition, especially in Johor where Bersatu and Umno have locked horns over several issues.
Before this, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's (photo) letter to Muhyiddin requesting that Sabah Umno leaders be appointed to federal positions had also fueled speculation.
Azalina had later downplayed this issue, describing her president's letter as nothing more than a polite letter from one party leader to another.
Virtual parliament not straightforward
On another matter, Azalina, who was a former minister in charge of parliamentary affairs, responded to a question on why Malaysia remained adamant in disallowing a virtual Parliament session amid the Covid-19 outbreak when other countries have done so.
“In my opinion, a virtual parliament is not as straightforward as it sounds. For example, the virtual Parliament in the (UK) House of Commons is conducted in batches. Not all 650 MPs can be in attendance at the same time; impromptu points of order and interventions are banned.
“If we were to adopt a virtual Parliament, can the Malaysian Parliament still sit and carry out its fundamental constitutional functions?
“The minister in charge of law is better suited to answer this question as he is representing the government on parliamentary affairs,” she said.
Azalina also declined to address the speculation that she might replace DAP's Nga Kor Ming as the Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker, saying: “I believe that it is still premature for me to comment.”
Opposition lawmakers have criticised the government's decision to hold a one-day Parliament sitting on May 18 with DAP veteran and Iskandar Puteri MP Lim Kit Siang arguing that it would render the House's role to provide check and balance ineffective. - Mkini
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