Stage is set for showdown over PM post after Sabah polls

 

MP SPEAKS | The stage is set for a showdown over Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister when the Sabah state general election is over this Saturday.

Muhyiddin had turned the Sabah state general election into a forerunner of the 15th general election when he said in Kota Belud yesterday that if the Perikatan Nasional (PN)-BN-PBS alliance was to win in the coming Sabah state election, a snap general would not be far away.

The Sabah general election is a result of a Bersatu plot that went wrong, for the political “frogs” who backed former chief minister Musa Aman who tried to capture the Sabah state government and not to precipitate a state election.

But Warisan leader Shafie Apbal was one step ahead of Musa, and now we have a Sabah state election.

In the process, however, the bickering and contradictions in the PN government have sharpened, spawning “alliance within an alliance”, which is why it is difficult to tell friend from foe among the so-called PN-BN-PBS alliance in Sabah.

Muhyiddin wants Hajiji Noor to be the next Sabah chief minister, but this is not supported by Umno, which wants its Sabah chairperson Bung Moktar Radin to be the next chief minister.

The animosity, and even contempt, of Umno for Muhyiddin and Bersatu, could be gleaned from the interview of the veteran Umno leader, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah in The Malaysian Insight today.

Tengku Razaleigh keeps up the pressure for dissolution of Parliament and immediate snap national general elections.

Calling the Muhyiddin government as “illegitimate”, Tengku Razaleigh blamed Bersatu as the cause for the toppling of the BN in BE14 on May 9, 2018, and said Muafakat Nasional should not accept Bersatu as a member.

Tengku Razaleigh contemptuously described Bersatu as “ular lidi” (a small snake) wanting to befriend a python (Umno).

He said: “Bersatu should have some standards. It is a small snake trying to get close to a python.

“It’s enough for Umno and PAS to cooperate.”

Tengku Razaleigh also said that Umno would contest in Pagoh and Langkawi, the two seats won by Muhyiddin and for prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

He said: “Umno will take back the seats they have lost – even in Pagoh and Langkawi – those are Umno’s seats. They belong to Umno.”

On the proposal by some that Muhyiddin should rejoin Umno and continue as prime minister, Tengku Razaleigh asked: “Who said we are going to accept him?”

The animosity and contempt of Umno for Muhyiddin as prime minister is the reason Umno is not prepared to accept Hajiji Noor as the sole nominee to be the next Sabah chief minister.

It is the reason why there are the multi-contests among themselves in PN-BN-PBS ‘alliance’ in the Sabah general election and why Muhyiddin is the first prime minister who is campaigning so hard in the Sabah general election.

In contrast, the Warisan Plus is united in asking Sabahans to give undivided support for Shafie Apdal to continue as Sabah chief minister and fully endorse his slogan: “In God we Trust, Unite We Must!”

Muhyiddin has elevated the Sabah state general election to national importance, because whether he would continue as prime minister after Sept 26, and for how long, are intriguing questions after this coming Saturday.

LIM KIT SIANG is DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri. - Mkini

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.