JAMES Masing is prepared to quit his state seat in the Sarawak legislative assembly if the opposition can show proof it has the numbers to form a new government.

The Sarawak deputy chief minister said he will give up his Baleh state seat if any of the opposition leaders could prove they command the majority of support from their peers in parliament to take over if Muhyiddin Yassin resigns as prime minister.

“Please pick one among you who can command the majority (of support) in parliament (and) I will resign,” he said in reaction to the prime minister’s nationally televised special address yesterday.

The Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president, who has held the Baleh seat for eight terms since 1983, said Muhyiddin’s move to reach out to those demanding his resignation is “honest and honourable”.

“The ball is now (at) the opposition’s feet. Get together and choose one leader.”

Masing said a failure could result in the Agong being advised to dissolve parliament even in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic to pave the way for a snap general election to end the current political impasse.

He said it would not be an easy choice for either the prime minister or the Agong to take.

Yesterday, the prime minister said he has two choices open to him in the federal constitution.

He said he could seek the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s approval to dissolve parliament and hold the election or resign.

The easiest option, he said, is to resign, after which the Agong could then invoke his powers under Article 43(2) of the federal constitution to pick the next prime minister.

Muhyiddin said, to date, not one MP has been able to prove that he has the support of a majority of parliament to enable the Agong to appoint him as the replacement prime minister.

The inability to appoint a new prime minister could even prolong the political crisis as there will be no government to administer the country, Muhyiddin added.

Saratok MP Ali Biju said the raft of reforms proposed by Muhyiddin in his address were something they “simply cannot refuse”.

“This is an offer you have been waiting for. This is for our nation’s future.

“Enough politicking and spewing rhetoric. Enough dallying with kleptocrats,” the deputy minister of energy and natural resources said, alluding to Pakatan Harapan’s seeming flirtation with Umno. – August 14, 2021.