Malaysia, Pakatan damaged by recalcitrant MPs

Jahabar Sadiq Jahabar Sadiq Updated 4 years ago · Published on 24 Feb 2020 9:33AM · 7 Comments

The succession of Anwar Ibrahim to the prime minister’s office currently occupied by Dr Mahathir Mohamad appears to be highly doubtful after the PKR MP’s shenanigans yesterday. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, February 24, 2020.

THE damage is done. 

This morning’s trading in the financial markets and ringgit will reflect the ebbing confidence in the viability of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government whose recalcitrant MPs openly allied with their political foes, Umno and PAS, last night.

The ringgit has slipped two sen to RM4.21 against the greenback while the KLCI plunged below the psychological 1,500 points barrier to 1,498.47 in the first 15 minutes of trading from 1,53.20 last Friday.

For Umno and PAS, the weekend’s exercise was just to break up the ruling pact without even the need to form a coalition government with large factions of Bersatu and PKR MPs.

But the day’s events unfolded in such a way that DAP and Amanah would find it difficult to work with ministers who are openly consorting with political foes – some who face multiple corruption charges in the Barisan Nasional (BN) era.

The aim of this weekend’s exercise is crystal clear. To keep Anwar Ibrahim from power now and forever, just by the threat of collapsing the current government.

Friday’s PH presidential meeting sealed Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s tenure until the nonagenarian politician feels he is ready to step down, which is after the KL Apec Summit in November, but some PKR and Bersatu MPs decided that even that is too soon.

Supporting Dr Mahathir as prime minister was just a barely polite way of saying they didn’t want Anwar in that post. Hence the flurry of meetings over the weekend to reorganise a possible coalition government without Anwar.

Will it succeed? No new government has been formed yet but the cracks are already showing now. The PH MPs who dined with their foes yesterday have drawn a line that even Dr Mahathir will find hard to ignore.

He can keep the government as it is. Or he has to change once either side – be it current allies DAP and Amanah, and even Anwar’s supporters, or those at the dinner clamouring for action against each other –ostensibly for a better Malaysia.

“God willing, we will continue the fight and agenda for Reformation (Reformasi), and to develop the nation and bring prosperity to all Malaysians,” Azmin told reporters last night after the dinner with Umno and PAS leaders in Sheraton Petaling Jaya.

But the dinner was about anything but developing the nation or bringing prosperity. It was just the continuing aftermath of the last PKR elections that did not go his faction’s way.

And now Malaysia and PH will suffer. Investors will shun the country due to a government wracked by feuds and teetering on collapse any time a group of MPs sign statutory declarations that have no real standing except as a threat.

Even hosting the Apec Summit will be a repeat of 1998 with the focus squarely on Malaysia’s democracy rather than its economic achievements and ideals, if any.

Today will see another flurry of meetings as everyone seeks to either meet Dr Mahathir or the king about the latest political crisis. As it stands, Dr Mahathir wants to keep the government as it is. But it already appears untenable.

Those who say they want him to last the term have already damaged him and his Apec Summit. They have also damaged themselves. The rest are damaged by just by keeping the status quo despite the breakdown in relationship.

The only way out appears to be snap polls, one that neither side is actually ready for but could likely go the BN and PAS way as PH parties seek new alignments to avoid being wiped out.

It all now depends on Dr Mahathir and the king. But ultimately, it is up to the people to get out of this political quagmire created by those who do not want to see Anwar as PM. – February 24, 2020.

*Jahabar Sadiq runs The Malaysian Insight.

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Comments

  • Very good piece Jahabar

    Posted 4 years ago by [email protected] · Reply

  • AI should get Sabah and Sarawak MPs on his side and get rid of Bersatu and Azmin n company.

    Posted 4 years ago by Adrian Tan · Reply

  • With his open statement, it is completely impossible for Azmin to bring about the reformasi under the PKR banner. Even if he succeeds to retain Tun as the PM, his relation with his direct boss will not permit him to carry out the reformasi mission effectively. What reformasi is he talking about? He cannot hijack the party's agenda, It will be absolutely absurd to see a person becoming so sinister.

    Please quit PKR and do what you may before you destroy the party.

    Posted 4 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply

  • The legacy of Tun is at stake should what he has promised not be materialized.

    Posted 4 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply

  • sad story isnt'it....we rakyat dont need all these.

    Posted 4 years ago by Khairuzzaman ABDULLAH · Reply

  • Looks like op eds are becoming obsolete faster than iphones.

    Posted 4 years ago by Sharizal Shaarani · Reply

  • Only two personalities matter in this situation - Tun M and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

    Posted 4 years ago by Kamal Hisham · Reply