AFTER weeks of high drama, Vellfires zipping in and out of Damansara Heights, ad hoc meetings all over the capital, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin caved in to pressure and tendered his resignation on Monday.

This ends half the speculation revolving around the state of our politics, but the second, trickier part, is a much more complex question. 

What next? 

It’s a question DAP MPs Tony Pua and Ong Kian Ming were trying to raise, but perhaps framed in a way Pakatan Harapan (PH) supporters were unable to accept. 

Indeed, supporters and analysts alike would find it difficult to trust the promises of reforms, to which the same administration was staunchly opposed.

For example, Undi18 activists were detained just weeks before over their #Lawan campaign, which called for, among others, the enforcement of the law to let youth vote.

Even the idea of Perikatan Nasional talking to the DAP seems surreal, as the very basis of its founding is to “save” Malaysia from DAP and PKR, although the existence of such manufactured hate for these two parties seems to be purely politically motivated.  

With both sides at near stalemate since last weekend, and with very little wildcards left to play, the obvious answer seems to be a unity government.  

That won’t be easy, given the corner both sides have backed themselves into. With both parties avowed not to work with “kleptocrats” and PH having drawn a clear line against “traitors”, while PN have made an art out of painting Anwar Ibrahim, PKR and DAP with the same evil brush. 

Having pushed hard for the fall of the government, and baying for the blood of those who are said to have weakened Umno, it is unlikely the dozen or so loyal to Umno president Zahid Hamidi and Najib Razak will likely concede to either side, preferring to hold out their own for the most advantageous position for themselves, which ideally would see one from their camp appointed as prime minister. 

On the other hand, PN remnant supporters would probably like to see one of their own being retained. This would minimally disrupt the pact and hold on to the power or resources to keep it intact.

PN, of course, is rumoured to have successfully wooed the fringe parties, but still lacks the absolute number to have Anwar lead. Any hope he has to form a government would hinge on some form of compromise. 

In reality, for peace to really prevail in this government, and for stability to really set in, the “grand coalition” idea mooted by Dr Mahathir Mohamad 17 months ago, could work now. 

Both parties have all the political and public relations cover they need – two collapsed administrations, a pandemic situation that is in dire state, three years of miserable political instability, a weary electorate and hints from the citizenry to work together. 

If necessary, the controversial Umno leaders who triggered this collapse could be exempted from a decision-making or Cabinet role. 

Elections will be around the corner anyway and parties should use this opportunity to stabilize their own parties and regroup instead of setting their sights to the elections this soon.

This is particularly true for GPS, who may not want to be seen as close to PKR or DAP, who both have clashing political aspirations in their state.  

Taking a combative position against it, without working out some compromise like in Sabah, could see Sarawak’s relatively peaceful politics take a divisive Semenanjung turn. 

Having the shared responsibility of delivering the country from this epidemic could give birth to a new grand political coalition, or at the very least, set the discourse of politics in this country on a much less hostile tone, while each party figures out its new political direction and alignments.  

And the people, country and economy could very much use the breather. – August 18, 2021.

* Emmanuel Joseph firmly believes that Klang is the best place on Earth, and that motivated people can do far more good than any leader with motive.