Sizing up PM Muhyiddin today

 

In my previous article, I wrote that “Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin knows his government is untenable and his hold on power is slipping by the day”.

“It is a fact that the majority of Malaysians do not recognise this unelected Perikatan Nasional (PN) government and consider it illegitimate."

Readers who commented generally agreed with me on the need for a saviour to save Malaysia and also nodded that there is none among the current crop of leaders today.

One noted: “What we truly need are thinking Malaysians interested in the welfare of Malaysians... and that bin is empty. Ever wonder why?”

Oh yes, we can continue to crack our heads and keep wondering but we will never be able to find that one saviour. He is elusive or possibly, has not been born yet.

I can surmise from that little feedback that Muhyiddin is not considered by Malaysians as the best man to lead the nation today.

Before I go into the question, “If not Muyhiddin, then who?”, I think it is more urgent and relevant to tackle this poser - “What does Muhyiddin still want today?”

Let me size up our prime minister and what I believe he desires, and so desperately, today.

Surely, Muhyiddin still wants to be prime minister after the 15th general election. He is hanging on by a thread and we can expect him to go all out (which will surely include maximising on his incumbency and hold on power) for nothing less than a victory.

I don’t think it’s fair to suggest that Muhyiddin might even abuse his prime ministerial powers to attain his electoral goal but who is to say he wouldn’t too. How many times has his predecessor, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, been accused of abusing his incumbency to score big at the polls?

I do not consider Muhyiddin an extraordinary leader. That should actually be translated into “ordinary” or “nothing exceptional” about the man.

I will grade Muhyiddin as a “below average” prime minister. He lacks charisma and his political acumen is almost zero. He is not prime minister-material in the first place. Umno leaders of the past decade could attest to that.

In fact, all of Muyhiddin’s political acts since the Sheraton putsch of February 2020 have been a longstanding target of progressive ire from Malaysians.

I feel I must share a few lines of what I wrote on Feb 27 last year. In an article titled ‘Et tu Muhyiddin’, I sighed in disbelief, “But Muhyiddin Yassin as one of the key conspirators? Few expected that. I did not”.

And I added in great disappointment, “Muhyiddin’s biggest mistake is that he should have chosen to be on the side of the majority of Malaysians and they are with Harapan. It is sad to see Muhyiddin seal his own fate this way at the tail end of his political career.”

Gang of deserters

As soon as he assumed the coveted prime minister’s post by accident on March 1 last year, Muhyiddin acted in desperation to cling on to it.

He was prepared to accept anyone and made all kinds of concessions to ensure that he has the slim majority such as putting together a bloated “Size XXXL” cabinet (about 70 ministers and deputies) and appointing political frogs and incompetent MPs to head government-linked companies (GLCs).

In January this year, when he found out that he was losing grip on his parliamentary majority, he quickly planned a national emergency and had Parliament suspended.

Such acts could only come from a desperado prime minister who commands no real loyalty from his gang of deserters, turncoats and traitors. He has also surrounded himself with an advisory pool of self-serving, conniving and shady characters.

No wonder Muhyiddin was never in line to be prime minister in the Umno hierarchy during its decades in power. He was a mere follower at best, never a leader.

Muhyiddin has long been known to be lurking behind the shadow of Mahathir throughout his political career. This was obvious when they ousted Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as prime minister in 2009.

When Muhyiddin himself was sacked by Najib Abdul Razak as deputy prime minister in 2015, he did nothing (because he couldn’t do anything himself) except to continue hiding behind Mahathir’s shadow and followed him later to team up with DAP, PKR and Amanah to form Pakatan Harapan.

When did Muhyiddin ever achieve anything of significance as a leader by himself, except now to cling on as prime minister and breaking all the rules in the process?

Fellow Malaysians, I truly believe that we deserve a better man as our prime minister than Muhyiddin. I hope that very soon, he might have to live with this tag - Malaysia’s shortest-serving prime minister.

I previously stated that whoever is prime minister will not change anything if the players are the same, so why can’t I support Muhyiddin?

Because like many Malaysians, I can never accept a backdoor prime minister and an illegitimate government, formed by a motley crew of treacherous and self-serving politicians.

That’s why! - Mkini

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FRANCIS PAUL SIAH is the author of ‘Hijack in Malaysia: The Fall of Pakatan Harapan’. Obtain autographed copies from sirsiah@gmail.com.

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