PUTRAJAYA: The Opposition should stop wasting the people’s time by trying to topple the unity government via “backdoor moves” and instead help rebuild the country, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
“I want to tell the Opposition, enough with all these ‘moves’ with whatever names; don’t waste the rakyat’s time and try to divert their attention from the programmes and projects by the Madani government.
“In reality, the rakyat wants political stability to improve the economy and increase foreign domestic investments to reduce unemployment and have more job opportunities, not politicking.
“The time for politics is only during elections,” the Deputy Prime Minister told reporters after an event to explain the Rural and Regional Development Ministry’s plans for 2024.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also the minister, was referring to an alleged plot dubbed the ‘Dubai Move’ involving certain Opposition leaders and individual MPs to topple the unity government.
The alleged conspiracy was first made known by Community Communications Department deputy director-general Datuk Ismail Yusop on Dec 30 last year.
In a social media post, Ismail claimed that certain Perikatan Nasional leaders and government backbenchers had hatched the plan while they were vacationing in the United Arab Emirates.
On Jan 3, senior Perikatan leader Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor confirmed that there was such a plan but that it was actually the “Chow Kit Move” because it was hatched in Kuala Lumpur.
Muhammad Sanusi, who is also Kedah Mentri Besar, defended the plot, saying that changing governments through the democratic process is permitted under the Federal Constitution.
But Ahmad Zahid yesterday expressed confidence that such a plot would not succeed as coalitions in Sarawak and Sabah had repeatedly pledged to support the unity government.
“It is unlikely to happen as assurance has been given by the Premier of Sarawak, who also leads Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).
“We have four years before the next general election, and in these four years, let’s build our country, which has been damaged in one term after three different prime ministers did not bring much benefit for the rakyat at the time,” added Ahmad Zahid, who is chairman of Barisan Nasional, a coalition that supports the unity government.
He added that any decision to leave the government must be made en bloc by a political party instead of through statutory declarations by individual MPs.
