Risk of further turmoil with Muhyiddin case, say observers

 

Muhyiddin Yassin is the second former prime minister to be charged for corruption soon after losing an election

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia could face further political polarisation and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim risks a backlash as his opponent and predecessor Muhyiddin Yassin is prosecuted on criminal charges just three months after a divisive general election, analysts say.

The case could make the Anwar government even more unpopular among Malay voters for targeting the opposition even while senior leaders in the government fold face criminal graft charges, observers told Reuters.

That in turn could bring more political uncertainty in a country that has seen five prime ministers in six years. Anwar’s alliance is expected to face a formidable challenge from Muhyiddin’s coalition at elections in six states, which are due by June.

“It’s a big test for Anwar, who has people in his government who are facing corruption cases,” said Bridget Welsh, political analyst at the University of Nottingham Asia Research Institute.

She said Anwar’s government would face a broad crisis of credibility unless there was an effort to undertake more meaningful reforms. “This narrative of persecution feeds into the polarised dynamic of Malaysian politics,” she said.

Muhyiddin is the second former prime minister to be charged for corruption soon after losing an election. His case has thrown a spotlight on the various fissures in the country’s politics.

Anwar has faced criticism for forming a government with corruption-tainted Umno after he failed to win a majority at last year’s elections. Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was appointed his deputy despite facing multiple graft charges.

In another possible political fallout, the charges against Muhyiddin could potentially weaken his party and strengthen the role of PAS within the opposition bloc, said Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow with Singapore’s Institute of International Affairs.

“A PAS-dominated Perikatan will be heavy on religious sentiment. That can echo with an increasing conservative cohort in the electorate,” Oh said, referring to the opposition bloc.

Political analyst Wong Chin Huat said it was important for Anwar’s government to signal that it was not targeting the opposition.

Anwar maintains that the case against Muhyiddin was not politically motivated.

“As long as Anwar can hold and expand the middle ground by demonstrating state impartiality, instead of revenge politics, his government would be safe and the international community need not worry about political instability,” Wong said.

Unlike recent Malaysian prime ministers, Anwar has not made any changes to the leadership of the country’s law enforcement agencies upon winning power.

In fact, Muhyiddin appointed the top civil servants who were instrumental in the investigations into his alleged graft: the chief of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the country’s attorney-general.

MACC today denied interference in its investigation process.

Muhyiddin is not the first leader to blame political motivations for the accusations against him.

Anwar himself served jail time for corruption and sodomy before becoming prime minister, charges he insists were designed to keep him from power. He was pardoned in 2018.

Malaysian politics has been in a flux since Najib Razak lost elections in 2018, bringing to an end an uninterrupted rule by the Umno party that had governed for more than 60 years since independence.

Najib, who has also claimed political persecution, is now serving a jail term for graft related to the multibillion ringgit 1MDB scandal. - FMT