Ismail Sabri a victim of larger forces like last French monarch - Ramasamy

 

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob is merely a victim of larger political and economic forces at play, just like the last monarch of France, Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, said Penang deputy chief minister II P Ramasamy.

He said Bonaparte was able to last in the position for a while not because he was an able or clever leader, but because he sought to represent or gave the impression of representation to all segments of society.

“He was a hero to the peasants, the workers, the petty bourgeois, the landed class and the aristocrats. But in an actual sense, he became a victim or pawn of the growing capitalist class in France.

“Comparing Ismail Sabri to Bonaparte might not be fair given the vast gap in history. But the fact that Bonaparte sought to represent all sections of society bordered on naivety and foolishness,” Ramasamy said in a statement today.

Ismail Sabri (above) is a “man of all seasons” and has been said to have all the qualities to unite the different factions of Umno, as well as bring Pakatan Harapan into the fold through the memorandum of understanding (MOU), he said.

However, Ramasamy insists that Umno’s nomination of Ismail Sabri as the prime minister candidate for the next general election is merely a “game plan” to entice him to call for an early general election.

“What happens after the general election can be anybody’s guess,” he said.

Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy

‘Earning praise for doing the ordinary’

While he acknowledged that Ismail Sabri has not been controversial as the prime minister, he does not deserve much credit for keeping the country “just going for its sake”.

Even the management of the Covid-19 pandemic should be credited to the availability of the vaccines rather than the prime minister, Ramasamy said.

Harapan’s MOU with Ismail Sabri’s government, he said, was to keep the corrupt Umno leaders from seizing power.

“For just doing ordinary things, Ismail Sabri has earned praise.

“The fact that he lasted in the post until today speaks not about his uniting abilities but rather the deep and insurmountable divisions within and without,” Ramasamy said.

Umno has been very keen on calling for an early general election following their success in the last three state elections of Malacca, Sarawak and Johor.

Ismail Sabri had previously said he would consider extending the MOU with Harapan, which includes a promise from the government not to dissolve Parliament until at least July 31, 2022.

However, he later signalled his willingness to dissolve Parliament during the Umno general assembly.

The Umno supreme council has also recently decided not to extend the MOU with Harapan, which is set to expire in July this year, though Harapan leaders have said this decision cannot be unilaterally made by Umno. - Mkini