Tough job awaits Ismail Sabri

IT has been a nerve-wrecking week for Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, but he is finally where many politicians dream of being.

Messages of congratulation are still pouring in for the 9th Prime Minister but his

rise to the top has been almost as controversial as that of his predecessor.

He is actually coming in with quite little public goodwill because ordinary people have grown so sick and tired of politicians and their politicking.

It was also a terribly confusing week choked with lots of fake news.

As the Malay Rulers were meeting on Friday (Aug 20), rumours were still flying that Ismail would not get the job although he had secured a comfortable majority of 114.

There were still groups pushing the narrative that the King wanted a unity government. They did not seem to understand that doing that would be going against the Constitution and the spirit of parliamentary democracy when Ismail had gained the majority support.

Bersatu secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin said the golden opportunity passed after Pakatan Harapan leaders rejected outright Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s offer of an inclusive concept of government.

“Muhyiddin went on national TV and even proposed reform measures but they accused him of bribery. Only after they could not get the numbers, they are talking about it again,” said Hamzah.

The public opinion of politicians is at an all-time low. The rakyat had given up on Barisan Nasional to place their hope on Pakatan, but that hope has been replaced by cynicism about politics and politicians.

This is what Ismail will be up against and his first big test will be forming his Cabinet.

Another bloated Cabinet with too many non-performers will not go down well with the people.

Will he be able to balance the interests of Umno with that of Bersatu?

Umno got the short end of the stick in Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s government. Key portfolios like Home, Finance and Malay heartland ministries like Rural Development and Agriculture went to Bersatu.

Even PAS, who was after the religion portfolio, saw it go to someone from outside the party.

Ismail, accused by his own party of being too loyal to Muhyiddin, now has the opportunity to correct the perception.

But his hands may be tied because he is up there on borrowed support from Perikatan Nasional partners.

He needs to put up truly capable people in ministries related to managing the pandemic and the economy, two areas that will make or break his administration.

The focus will also be on who will be the deputy prime minister (DPM).

It is understood the post will go to Bersatu in exchange for Umno getting the premiership and there are three aspirants.

Going by party hierarchy, the forerunner is Bersatu deputy president Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu, who is better known by his nickname Peja.

The former Perak Mentri Besar has yet to live down his “curry laksa” video on social media. But he is a genuinely pleasant politician and Ismail will be able to work well with him.

“My conscience is clear, I am not lobbying or anything like that. I leave it in the hands of God and I will respect my party’s decision,” said Ahmad Faizal.

Hamzah, the powerful former Home Minister, is also a candidate.

There are lots of smiling tigers in politics, that is politicians who smile at their prey while planning to pounce on them. Hamzah is arguably the most dangerous of that species but Muhyiddin needed someone like him to “do things”.

Hamzah instinctively understood the powers of his ministry and how to use it. His style has been compared to that of “King Ghaz” or Tan Sri Ghazali Shafie, a feared Home Minister in the 1970s.

Much of Hamzah’s clout came from the fact that he is trusted by Muhyiddin and was able to deliver.

For instance, he soldiered on when many Bersatu leaders thought they were going to lose in last year’s Sabah election.

When they won, he was the only key leader from the peninsula still there, holding up both hands in victory in a creased linen shirt, his hair uncombed and looking like he had not slept in days.

Another candidate, Datuk Seri Azmin Ali, is believed to have been promised that “you will be somewhere up there” when he and Muhyiddin took over in 2020.

Muhyiddin would not have become prime minister without Azmin’s support and he feels indebted to Azmin.

But will Bersatu appreciate Azmin as much as Muhyiddin?

Of the trio, Ahmad Faizal is the only original Bersatu man. Hamzah crossed over from Umno and Azmin came in from PKR.

All three have the basis to claim the DPM's post and it is up to the Bersatu leadership council to evaluate who is best suited for it.

The DPM post is not in the Constitution although it was considered a succession post during Umno’s glory years.

That is no longer the case given the political instability in recent years. The post has become largely prestigious and a way to balance power among coalition partners.

Nevertheless, it is still something to lust for because whoever from Bersatu becomes the DPM can leverage on it to become the party’s future president.