Tough rite of passage

AFTER a turbulent week of political twists and turns, we have a new Prime Minister promising to appoint Cabinet members of high calibre with integrity and a clean track record. However, for some, the main questions, including on the legitimacy of the new government, remain unsettled.

To use a popular saying, it ain’t over till the fat lady sings. It means nothing is irreversible until the final act is played out.

The lady referred to in this idiom, by the way, is often thought to be the character of Brunnhilde in The Ring of the Nibelung, Richard Wagner’s series of operas.

In our own continuing operatic drama, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who was sworn in as the eighth Prime Minister on Sunday, has appealed to Malaysians to support him, pointing out that he has 40 years of political and administrative experience.

In his first televised address as PM on Monday, the Bersatu president denied being a traitor. His predecessor Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had blamed him for the collapse of Pakatan Harapan’s 20-month-old administration.

Even as Muhyiddin took his oath of office, Dr Mahathir, who founded Parti Bersatu Pribumi Malaysia (Bersatu) and became its chairman, repeatedly accused the 72-year-old Pagoh MP of plotting and orchestrating the events of the previous week.

Refuting the allegations, Muhyiddin said he only took the helm to save the country from a protracted political turmoil, explaining that Bersatu had at first nominated Dr Mahathir and later PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, but both failed to command the support of the majority of MPs.

The man who 10 years ago famously described himself as a Malay first and yet a Malaysian at heart, also promised to be a prime minister for all the people.

“Whether you are Malay, Chinese, Indian, Sikh, Iban, Kadazan, Dusun, Murut, Orang Asli, or one from any race or ethnicity. I am your prime minister. Irrespective of whether you are a farmer, fisherman, businessman, civil servant or private sector employee, I am your prime minister.”

Would these assurances be enough to ease the acrimony between those who support the Pakatan coalition voted into power on May 9,2018, and those who welcome the newly formed political pact that is now in control.

As it was Muhyiddin who led the majority of Bersatu MPs out of Pakatan and into a coalition with what were once rival parties, the rancour and resentment is not surprising.

Bersatu’s current allies include Umno, the linchpin of Barisan Nasional, which lost power after six decades, and PAS, which aims to set up an Islamic theocratic state.

Former PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali and 10 other rebel MPs left PKR and have joined Bersatu.

With the collapse of the Pakatan-led governments of Johor and Melaka and similar developments expected in Perak and Kedah, denunciations against Muhyiddin’s coalition, which some call Perikatan Nasional (National Alliance), run the gamut from treachery and betrayal of the people to greed and self-interest above the nation’s well-being.

And with several scandal-ridden leaders in the mix, there is fear that the new administration might see the return of a kleptocratic government, or worse, a kakistocracy run by the least qualified and most unscrupulous.

Such worries are not unconscionable because Umno is a large component of the new ruling alliance.

Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is facing 87 criminal charges in court, while former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, are facing 62. A number of other Umno leaders have also been charged in court or are being investigated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

Among the main challenges for the new government is accommodating the demands of the coalition partners and expectations of the various states and communities.

Sarawak’s support, for example, is likely to have come with major conditions. Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) has declared that it is only allied with the new government “in the interest of the nation and to save Malaysia from political instability without sacrificing the interest of Sarawak”.

The state’s chief minister, Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg, said GPS would back any coalition that agrees to pay 5% sales tax on petroleum products and fulfils the state’s rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963.

The Sarawak government has sued Petronas for its failure to pay sales tax amounting to RM1.3bil.

During his televised speech, Muhyiddin also paid tribute to Dr Mahathir for his contributions to the nation but the 94-year leader, who holds the record of being PM twice, is not likely to be in a forgiving mood.

Dr Mahathir and his allies from PKR, DAP and Warisan are said to be focusing on the next battle – tabling a no-confidence motion in the Dewan Rakyat. They insist that they still have behind them the majority of MPs (114 out of 222).

It may be a tough fight. By convention, a sitting PM tends to attract the support of more MPs because of the potential benefits to be derived from association with his administration.

If Muhyiddin cannot get a convincing majority, there is the option of asking the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to dissolve Parliament for a snap election. Under the existing circumstances, Perikatan Nasional has better chances of winning.

The first session of Parliament’s next meeting is on March 9 but Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof has yet to get the nod from Muhyiddin to go ahead.

Dr Mahathir has responded by saying that the new government could delay it for as long as it likes but if the delay is too long, it only means that the PM is not endorsed by the MPs.

Media consultant M. Veera Pandiyan likes this quote by Benjamin Disraeli: “There is no act of treachery or meanness of which a political party is not capable; for in politics there is no honour.”

The views expressed here are entirely the writer’s own.