Is Maszlee Malik the best you have, PKR?

 

Even before the Vellfire issue and the MACC probe on Maszlee Malik hit the public spotlight, I was already having deep reservations about the politician and his involvement in PKR, particularly in the coming Johor election.

Let me say that I do not know Maszlee personally but there is something about this man which tells me to keep a close watch on his words and actions as a politician.

One specific episode which I remember and detest about Maszlee was his ‘Medan Dakwah’ pronouncement of Sarawak and Sabah as an arena for evangelism for religious teachers in 2018.

The ‘unfit’ education minister

This was one issue which I took great exception to and which I initiated a petition to then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to remove Maszlee as education minister.

I don’t think it is incorrect of me to state that when Maszlee was education minister, he was more interested in displaying his Islamic credentials than looking after the educational needs of our students.

Maszlee is not known as a smart nor astute guy and tends to get carried away when he has some power. His tenure as the “unfit” education minister during Pakatan Harapan rule is well documented.

Oh dear, didn’t he also want to be International Islamic University Malaysia president too while serving as education minister? He had conveniently forgotten then that just months before, he was an ordinary associate professor in his 40s before he became an MP.

Being in politics does not suddenly turn one into a smart alec overnight. On the contrary, if one is unable to handle the new, exalted position, he could make a fool of himself instead. This is what happened to Maszlee.

In 2020, Mahathir must have solid grounds to ask Maszlee to resign from the cabinet. This was on Jan 1, the auspicious New Year’s Day when Maszlee received his marching orders. On record, Maszlee is the only Harapan minister to be sacked, although the official version was that he “resigned”.

Okay, okay, the former education minister has vehemently denied any involvement in corruption and claims that the MACC is investigating him, saying these are an attempt to tarnish his reputation ahead of the Johor state election.

"I welcome any inquiry as there is nothing to hide," Maszlee had said in a statement.

Later, Maszlee admitted that he had used the Vellfire in question for official duty when he was a minister but returned it to the ministry after he left.

This part of the report against the minister on the Vellfire is real, at least, and not a mere allegation.

Now, what really shocked me is that the Simpang Renggam MP is being touted as Harapan's candidate to head the Johor government in the forthcoming state assembly election.

What? Maszlee as Johor menteri besar? Oh dear, I’m sorry but I must seriously ask PKR boss Anwar Ibrahim whether Maszlee is the best PKR has to offer the people of Johor.

Are voters supposed to pick him?

Assuming I’m a Johorean and if Anwar’s response was in the affirmative, I think Harapan can kiss my one sacred vote goodbye. There is no way I will make the effort to drive back to Johor from Kuala Lumpur just to cast my vote, say for PKR and Maszlee. No way.

PKR president Anwar Ibrahim

Parties should no longer take the voters for granted and assume that they are prepared to accept all the candidates at face value. No, voters know better now – field the wrong candidates and they will be rejected!

Or worse, voters could just stay home and not bother to vote at all. Well, many had boycotted the Malacca and Sarawak elections last year. The same can occur in Johor.

I am also wondering whether Harapan’s partners, DAP and Amanah, are in sync with PKR’s purported intention and role for Maszlee in Johor.

I can recall that none of the DAP or Amanah ministers defended Maszlee when he was asked to leave the cabinet in 2020. Is that an indication of what they thought of Maszlee back then?

The Simpang Renggam MP said he decided to be part of PKR and Harapan as he felt he owed a duty to the voters who expected change in GE14.

Noble words indeed! This is the thing with most politicians - when they are desperate and in need, they have the tendency to speak in a sweet, smooth tone.

Their true colours will be stripped bare for all to view when they are in power. We are only too familiar with such antics from losers.

I am glad to hear the recent announcement by PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail that the party has received 78,903 new membership applications from Nov 24 last year up until a Jan 31 deadline for registration.

Wow! 78,000 new members are a huge credit to PKR. The numbers should be a morale-booster for the party which has not been seen in the same light as pre-GE14 in 2018.

PKR has lost a lot of its oomph, the Sarawak election last December being the latest indicator of its loss of support. Not only was PKR defeated in all the seats it contested in Sarawak, the majority of its candidates also lost their deposits in the process.

With more than 78,000 new members, I believe the party will surely be able to find some new, credible names, other than the likes of Maszlee, to spearhead the party’s challenge in Johor, to start with.

If not, be prepared for another slaughter, like in Malacca and Sarawak. - Mkini

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FRANCIS PAUL SIAH is a veteran Sarawak editor and heads the Movement for Change, Sarawak (MoCS). He can be reached at sirsiah@gmail.com

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