DID PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang get his prophecy wrong?
Last week, the Marang MP prophesied that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s government would collapse soon.
So far, the Federal Government is still intact. Instead, it is the political career of Hadi’s Perikatan Nasional ally, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, which looks to be collapsing.
The chairman of the Perikatan Opposition bloc and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia president is now facing abuse of power and money laundering charges. The Pagoh MP pleaded not guilty to the six charges.
Perhaps Abdul Hadi misread the fluid political writing on the wall.
According to Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan, who recently quit as Bersatu information chief, the possible writing on the wall is for the PAS president to be the government’s next target.
“Having gone after Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and me from Bersatu, their new target is Tan Sri Haji Abdul Hadi Awang from PAS. The sole purpose is to cripple Perikatan so that they can destroy checks and balances in this country,” claimed the Tasek Gelugor MP, who pleaded not guilty to a criminal charge on Feb 21.
“Tan Sri Abdul Hadi is being investigated because of his comments about the change of government. There is nothing wrong with the statement. In our Westminster-style democracy, the government can be changed at any time,” he said.
The police have confirmed that Bukit Aman’s Classified Crime Investigation Unit is investigating Abdul Hadi about his claims that Perikatan is attempting to topple the government.
Will Hadi’s “Anwar’s government will collapse” prophecy come true?
With Muhyiddin charged with corruption over Covid-19 spending, the political stakes got higher. The plot to bring down Anwar’s government has evolved after a mystery wheeler-dealer failed to convince Barisan Nasional chairman and Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to ditch Anwar’s government. The smooth operator is now focusing on getting the support of the anti-Ahmad Zahid MPs in Umno in a way that would not force them to vacate their seats under the anti-party hopping law. The plotter is also focusing on Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), the coalition with the fourth biggest number of MPs. Pakatan Harapan led by Anwar has 81 MPs, Perikatan 74, Barisan 30, GPS 23, and Gabun-gan Rakyat Sabah six.
The heat is also on the PAS president for defying a ban on politicians preaching in mosques and surau that was issued by the Terengganu Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council, and which Terengganu Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin assented to as head of Islam in the state.
On Friday, the Marang MP delivered a 20-minute sermon during Friday prayers at Masjid Rusila in his constituency. The sermon was also streamed live on Facebook.
Will the authorities dare to “touch” the untouchable Abdul Hadi, the Tok Guru? Will the PAS president be the next Perikatan leader to be charged after Muhyiddin?
In a chat on Thursday with a PKR insider, I was told that its president, Anwar, is in “brutal mode”. The insider also said the talk is that a tycoon who has been investigated for money laundering has sent feelers out to Sarawak politicians, encouraging them to consider a Borneo-led Federal Government.
“Welcome”, was the stark message posted on Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s Facebook page on the eve of Muhyiddin’s charging in court on March 10. Though, since Najib is serving a 12-year sentence in Kajang Prison, it is likely the message was posted by an account administrator as the former prime minister doesn’t have Internet access in prison.
Arguably, the post was to welcome Muhyiddin to the “court cluster”, ie, the group of senior politicians facing charges in court.
The irony is that Muhyiddin, who when he was prime minister, came down hard on Umno’s court cluster members like Najib and Ahmad Zahid, is now a member of that club.
For the record, top party leaders from all three major coalitions – Barisan, Perikatan and Pakatan – are in the club. They are Umno president Ahmad Zahid of Barisan, Bersatu president Muhyiddin of Bersatu, and DAP national chairman Lim Guan Eng of Pakatan. It would not surprise me if a third former PM or a party president is charged with corruption next.
Like Najib, who claims his charges are selective political prosecution, Muhyiddin has said he believes that the Anwar government targeted him.
“They used enforcement agencies as their tool to achieve their political goals. Clearly, the charges against me are a form of calculated political victimisation. It is an organised political persecution,” said the Bersatu president.
Muhyiddin might have a point.
When he was the Opposition leader, Anwar demanded that senior politicians explain their involvement in the littoral combat ship (LCS) scandal.
“Those who are responsible [must explain] why major procure-ments, including this project that cost RM9bil, were done without a tender? And who has to answer this [question]? Najib, the former prime minister, Zahid, the former defence minister and Hishammuddin [Hussein, also a former Defence minister],” he said.
The rakyat is still waiting for a VVIP to be prosecuted for the LCS scandal.
Does Tok Guru have any prophecies about this?
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