A PM from Muhyiddin’s Cabinet recipe for Kerajaan Gagal 2.0, says analyst

 

Speculation is rife that Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (left) and Ismail Sabri Yaakob are frontrunners for the position of prime minister if Muhyiddin Yassin quits.

PETALING JAYA: The appointment of a prime minister from the present administration, should the incumbent Muhyiddin Yassin resign today, is a recipe for “Kerajaan Gagal 2.0”, says a political analyst.

Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs said the reality is that the downfall of the prime minister’s administration is not premised solely on Umno’s withdrawal of support for him.

“It’s also the incompetence of the government in handling the pandemic and reviving the economy,” he told FMT.

“We must not forget that Umno’s push to topple this government received a lot of support from its grassroots and the people.”

So, Oh said, the person appointed as the next prime minister must be someone who is competent and has a competent Cabinet that can address the health and economic crises faced by the country.

“In that sense, it has to be someone from outside this uninspiring, deadwood Cabinet. Otherwise, it will be Kerajaan Gagal 2.0 from the onset and just prolong the people’s suffering,” he said.

Speculation is rife over who could replace Muhyiddin should the Pagoh MP resign today, with several names being bandied about, including deputy prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah being the frontrunners.

Also said to be in contention are senior minister for security Hishammuddin Hussein and opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

However, questions over who commands the majority support in the Dewan Rakyat remains unanswered.

Muhyiddin, who has faced calls to resign from the opposition and Umno for the past few weeks, is set to have an audience with the King today. - FMT