Burying attempts to overthrow the government

The PMX team is out to put an end to the Dubai Move regardless of whether it is real or a mind game being played.

THE rather reclusive Tun Daim Zainuddin has found himself in the spotlight.

His equally low-profile family was also thrust into the media glare, with his wife Toh Puan Naimah Khalid defending his wealth and reputation in front of reporters moments before she and his two sons stepped into the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters to be questioned.

Daim, reportedly a billionaire, quietly influential and notoriously private, is being investigated for alleged corruption and money-laundering.

The MACC has also trained its guns on former prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor.

The crackdown on these big names is perceived to be connected to the conspiratorial Dubai Move.

The thing about the Dubai Move is that it has hardly been of interest to ordinary folk while the chattering class finds it to be all smoke with no fire – but the government wants to put out the fire and smoke once and for all.

"We want to kill it off, put a stop to the speculation," said Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin, the chief political secretary to the Prime Minister.

Shamsul has lodged a police report, which was followed by more police reports filed by PKR politicians in all 14 states. To date, more than 85 reports have been made on the issue.

The police, who sat in the spectator stand as the political drama unfolded, will now have to act on the reports.

Shamsul also identified Section 124b and 124c of the Penal Code as a guide for the police to act on. The two sections state that it is an offence to commit or be part of any preparatory act detrimental to parliamentary democracy and it is punishable with imprisonment of up to 15 years.

"Let the police do their work and those who claim to have the numbers, show it in Parliament," said Shamsul.

Will this prolong the issue and lend credence to what is seen as the Opposition's psychological warfare? Or will it lead to what some refer to as a self-fulfilling prophecy?

Besides, such attempts at toppling the government have been the modus operandi of no less than Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his allies during his years in the wilderness.

"Some think getting the police involved will add to the fire but we think this is the way to stop it," said Shamsul.

It may also bring certainty among the civil service who are said to be affected by rumours of change. After all, the last two major elections have shown that government servants, the police and armed forces prefer Perikatan Nasional.

Bersatu Youth chief Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal is quite annoyed that Perikatan is being blamed.

"They started the stories, they lodged police reports, they say we don't have support and they want us to bring it to Parliament. It's all coming from them, we are just watching," said Wan Ahmad Fayhsal, who is also Machang MP.

The government, said Selangor exco member Najwan Halimi, is on steady ground.

"This is the first time in years that a PM has a two-thirds majority in Parliament. The opposition has run out funds and they need these rumours to hold on to their base," said Najwan.

This week saw Anwar sign a memorandum of understanding with his Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong on the Johor-Singapore special economic zone. No details of what the project will entail were available but it is a pet project of the Johor ruler.

Both premiers also shared some great optics as they officiated the symbolic connecting span of the Rapid Transit System Link (RTS Link) between Johor Baru and Singapore.

Metropolitan Johor is on the cusp of an exciting sunrise with the Johor ruler ascending the throne at the end of the month.

All of this, political expert and lawyer Ivanpal S. Grewal said, may end the Dubai Move more definitely than a crackdown by MACC and the police because the incoming King has said Anwar should be given the chance to perform and deliver.

"The moves against those perceived to be connected to the Dubai Move is PMX's way of saying that if you disturb me, I will disturb you too.

"He is telling people he needs to run the country and if they give him trouble, if Tun Daim (Zainuddin) or Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad comes at him, he has no choice but to retaliate. He also wants to send the message that his government is here to stay," said Ivanpal.

The bigger picture, said Ivanpal, is that Anwar's key achievement after one year is being able to maintain a semblance of political stability after the tumult of the past few years.

It took more than 20 years for Anwar to get to where he is today and he will do what it takes to stay there.

Public opinion has never really been with Daim because of his joined-at-the-hip ties with Dr Mahathir and the fact that people have always been suspicious of how he grew so rich.

But despite his frail appearance and faltering speech, Daim is not taking things lying down. He is challenging the MACC in the court of law.

The MACC's powers are very wide and it is being used to the hilt in the past few years.

"It will be interesting to see where the courts stand on this. Will the courts provide clarity on this type of issues?" said Ivanpal.

The Prime Minister's powers of incumbency are immense but Anwar is taking on one of the richest men in the country who knows the government machinery inside out.

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