Muhyiddin Yassin’s Bersatu or Malaysian United Indigenous Party is very demoralized and demotivated in just less than 2 years after losing power. In fact, power-crazy Muhyiddin was so disillusioned of making a comeback as prime minister again that he had resorted to accusing and blaming the previous King Sultan Abdullah for denying him the post of prime minister.
Barking like a mad dog infected with rabies, he whined, cried and bitched during the recent Nenggiri by-election with dubious claims that he had in total 115 statutory declarations (SDs) from MPs expressing their support for him to be prime minister post-15th General Election in November 2022. Yet, it was PKR president Anwar Ibrahim – not Muhyiddin – who was sworn in.
Exactly why after submitting the so-called 115 SDs to Istana Negara (Palace) on Nov 21, 2022, it was Pakatan Harapan chairman Anwar who got the job rather than Perikatan Nasional chairman Mahiaddin alias Muhyiddin? The answer is simple. It’s the anti-hopping law, stupid. Even if Mr Moo had the 115 SDs, which he did not, the monarch can’t and won’t appoint him as the PM.
Malaysia was plunged into unchartered water after the 15th national polls. For the first time in history, the country was facing a hung parliament. As expected, then-Opposition Pakatan Harapan emerged as the single biggest bloc, winning 82 of the total 222 parliamentary seats. Widely believed to be able to grab between 80 and 100 seats, it ended in the lower range instead.
Incumbent Barisan Nasional government, on the other hand, suffered its worst defeat – worse than the previous 2018 General Election when it had won 79 seats. This round, it has only won 30 parliamentary seats – the lowest number of seats since the coalition was formed in 1973, a rebranded coalition of right-wing political parties after the May 13, 1969 bloody racial riots.
Perikatan Nasional, the third coalition thought would perform the worst among the three, had benefited the most from Barisan Nasional’s disastrous losses. The Malay-centric alliance of Bersatu conservative and PAS Islamist party, the most radical and extremist coalition ever created, successfully flipped dozens of rival Barisan Nasional traditional strongholds and won a stunning 73 seats.
Initially, Muhyiddin and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang were so confident of forming a new government that celebration was already started on Nov 20, less than 24 hours after the 15th General Election. PKR traitor Azmin Ali was grinning from ear to ear despite losing his Gombak seat, fantasizing he would be appointed as a Senator and become a minister through backdoor.
Despite losing all the 23 parliamentary seats contested under Perikatan Nasional banner, Gerakan president Dominic Lau Hoe Chai was incredibly happy that he practically hugged everyone he could find during a press conference at the Glenmarie Hotel and Golf Resort in Subang on the same day. It was so electrifying that one would have thought Perikatan had won the FIFA World Cup.
On the same Sunday (Nov 20), Muhyiddin hastily announced he had obtained the support of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) to form the next government. He even claimed that the Yang diPertuan Agong (King) had sent him a letter pertaining to the matter. But that was not the only lies the former backdoor PM spewed.
The traitor had also lied and misled GPS chairman Abang Johari Openg into believing that Barisan Nasional had joined the bandwagon. The Sarawak Premier looked like a fool when he told reporters that GPS had agreed to form a coalition with Perikatan Nasional, Barisan Nasional and GRS to form a “strong and stable” federal government, only for UMNO-Barisan chairman Zahid to deny it.
All hell broke loose after Zahid dropped the bombshell. Without Barisan Nasional 30 MPs, neither Pakatan Harapan (82 MPs) nor Perikatan Nasional (73 MPs) could form the next government. While Pakatan Harapan has other permutations to get the magic number 112 MPs to form a simple-majority government, Muhyiddin’s Perikatan Nasional “must work” together with Barisan Nasional.
It was only after Zahid said the Barisan en-bloc had not decided which coalition it would support that Perikatan Nasional let the cat out of the bag, claiming it had more than 112 SDs. With GPS’ 23 MPs, GRS’ 6 MPs and Perikatan Nasional’s 73 MPs, it means 10 traitors from Barisan Nasional – led by UMNO warlord Hishammuddin Hussein – had secretly pledged support for Muhyiddin.
Citing anti-hopping law, Zahid warned his party MPs that they could lose their seats if they did not toe the party line. With anti-hopping law in place, SD is basically worthless and useless. The King had explicitly mentioned that he only requires the affirmation from party leaders, in this case a letter from Barisan Nasional chairman Zahid Hamidi stating whom his party will support as prime minister.
Any Barisan Nasional MP who disagreed with the party’s decision must resign, leading to the parliamentary seat becomes vacant and triggers a by-election. But Muhyiddin didn’t care, whilst Hadi was so arrogant that he told all and sundry that they were just waiting for an invitation from the Palace for an audience with the King before swearing in Muhyiddin as the 10th Prime Minister on Monday (Nov 21).
Zahid then led 26 out of 30 Barisan Nasional MPs to meet Pakatan Harapan leader Anwar Ibrahim at the Seri Pacific Hotel on Nov 20, leading to the prospect of a unity government. Two days later (Nov 23), there was an explosive of anxiety and concerns when Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional leaders met at the five-star St Regis Hotel in Kuala Lumpur.
However, there was a “red flag” – UMNO chief Zahid did not attend the St Regis meeting. Instead, caretaker Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and party deputy president Mohamad Hasan were sent there to listen to the Perikatan Nasional’s sales speech. After revealing the offers from Anwar, Barisan asked Perikatan chairman Muhyiddin Yassin to counter offer – in black and white.
Short of the top prize – 10th Prime Minister – Perikatan Nasional would go home empty-handed because Pakatan Harapan had already offered the deputy prime minister during a “friendly meeting” at Seri Pacific Hotel two days earlier (Nov 21). But there was no way Muhyiddin could match Pakatan Harapan’s generosity and kindness for Barisan Nasional.
Crucially, It was already a “done deal” after Barisan and Pakatan quickly agreed to form the state governments in Perak on Nov 21 (before even Barisan-Perikatan’s meeting) and Pahang (on Nov 26), where UMNO lost spectacularly. After the Perak deal, Hishammuddin panicked and chicken out, rubbishinga statement circulating on social media quoting him as saying 10 UMNO MPs were backing Muhyiddin as PM.
UMNO, the dominant party of Barisan Nasional, won only 9 out of 59 seats in Perak, and 16 out of 42 in Pahang. Without Pakatan Harapan’s 24 state seats in Perak and 8 in Pahang, Barisan Nasional would end up as the opposition. However, as part of a unity government deal, UMNO gets both chief ministers in exchange for supporting Anwar as the 10th Prime Minister.
But it was not the only obstacle faced by Muhyiddin. Video clips had been circulating on social media showing how Sarawak GPS leader Abang Johari Openg was grilled by angry members over the hastily endorsement for Muhyiddin. The mutiny started after the Borneo state premier entered a pact with Perikatan Nasional despite knowing extremist PAS Islamist party has spewed anti-Christianity.
In fact, both Bersatu president Mahiaddin and PAS president Hadi approved, subscribed and even encouraged racist hatred, xenophobia, and all forms of bigotry in their attempt to fish Malay votes during the Nov 2022 election campaign. Muhyiddin said Christians were working with Jews to Christianise Malaysia, while Hadi tried to radicalise people with violent Islamic extremism.
Therefore, Mr Moo knew his scam had failed when Mr Anwar was also invited to the Palace to meet Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) on Nov 22, 2022 – the third day after the election that produced a hung Parliament. Back in Feb 2020, Muhyiddin managed to cheat his way to become the 8th Prime Minister with just 108 statutory declarations (SD), but not this time.
Yes, on the eve of Muhyiddin’s swearing-in on March 1, 2020, Mahathir Mohamad had 114 votes. To prove it, ex-PM Mahathir had even pre-emptively published the list of 114 MPs (more than 112 minimum seats required to form a simple-majority government in the 222-seat Parliament) who supported him as the next prime minister, along with a letter to the Palace.
Muhyiddin, however, failed or refused to publish the list of Members of Parliament allegedly supported him, but was sworn in by the monarch anyway. His legitimacy was being questioned when he locked the Parliament under the pretext of fighting Covid-19. During his 17-month regime, he had never dared hold a motion of confidence to prove his leadership legitimacy.
Something interesting happened when both Mahiaddin and Anwar met separately with the King on Nov 22, 2022. While Anwar stayed back to meet journalists outside the Palace, Muhyiddin – terribly upset – simply sped off without meeting the press – clearest clue that it didn’t go well with him. It was only back at his residence that Muhyiddin revealed to the press what had transpired at the Palace.
Furious, Perikatan Nasional chairman Muhyiddin showed a pile of documents – 115 statutory declarations – which he thought would do the trick to convince the King to appoint him as the 10th Prime Minister. Disappointed, he said – “During the audience with the King, someone said that this is not enough. I don’t know what the reasons were, but the proof is here.”
And because Muhyiddin did not have enough numbers, the Malay Ruler suggested that his Perikatan Nasional and Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan cooperate to form a unity government. The former backdoor PM arrogantly rejected the royal proposal. It was a strategic mistake that would not only see him charged for corruption, but also sparked bad blood with PAS Islamist party.
Apparently, after Zahid’s warning, UMNO traitor Hishammuddin and his minions signed a new set of SD documents, withdrawing their initial support for Mahiaddin. Those updated SDs were then sent to the Palace. The withdrawal of support from the 10 UMNO MPs at the last minute on Nov 22, the last day of submission to the Palace, effectively closed the door on Muhyiddin.
That was the reason why King Sultan Abdullah told Muhyiddin that he did not have the number to form the government. The 10 UMNO traitors had signed multiple SDs that they were not worth the paper it’s written on. The clearest proof that Perikatan Nasional did not have the number was when PM Anwar won a motion of confidence with the support of 148 MPs or two-thirds majority on Dec 19, 2022.
So, why is Muhyiddin still crying that he had the support of 115 MPs after close to 2 years? The short answer – Bersatu is disintegrating. The long answer – PAS is abandoning Bersatu and could be joining the Unity Government, most likely in the form of a confidence and supply agreement as it desperately needs funding for the financially weak states of Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis controlled by the Islamists.
To snatch power, the Bersatu president was willing to incite pro-Perikatan Nasional Malays to hate the Malay Sultan, leading to condemnation from the Pahang Crown Prince. But at the age of 77, the former backdoor PM has nothing to lose, nor would the sultan go to the extent of a full-blown war with him. In fact, Mr Moo prayed he would be charged with sedition so that he could be seen as a martyr.
It was also a tactical move to rock the boat of the unity government, forcing everyone to respond and in the process makes him relevant again. In the same breath, it was also a move to divert attention from Bersatu’s internal problems. Unfortunately, Muhyiddin didn’t expect PAS would throw him under the bus, unwilling to stand by him, but instead welcome a police investigation. - financetwitter
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