Questions for the PM

Updated 6 years ago · Published on 3 Mar 2020 8:35AM · 6 Comments

DEAR Muhyiddin Yassin, firstly, let me congratulate you on assuming the position of Malaysia’s eighth prime minister. Your very first address to the nation as PM was most interesting. I am just a humble citizen, and I admit, perhaps not very smart. However, I do have a few questions related to your speech.

In it, you mentioned that the political crisis started after Dr Mahathir Mohamad resigned as PM. Is it not a fact that Dr Mahathir resigned only after certain members of PKR, as well as your party, Bersatu, decided to leave Pakatan Harapan, leaving him without majority support in Parliament? This, to me, was the reason that Dr Mahathir resigned. Once a PM does not have the requisite majority, it is only the right and honourable thing to do. Your speech, however, made it seem as if you or your party had no part in Dr Mahathir’s resignation.

Would it be fair for me to say your party needs to take some responsibility for causing PH’s collapse, together with the 11 who left PKR? What were the reasons for leaving PH, a coalition that you and your party campaigned for in 2018, and on whose ticket you and the rest won the elections? In fact, is it not correct that you actually ran in the 2018 elections under the PKR banner? So, what caused the change of heart and betrayal of the people’s mandate?

The next question I have is, why did your party agree to enter a pact with Umno and PAS? I followed the campaign trail in 2018, and I recall your stirring and uplifting speeches, where you mentioned that Umno and PAS were spreading lies (fitnah) using religious sentiments. You even referred to Umno as thieves (perompak) and said PAS was using the name of religion, but prepared to kiss the mouths of thieves. You also used the term “dua kali lima”, or two peas in a pod, to describe Umno and PAS. How do you reconcile the fact that you had aggressively campaigned against these two parties, and then, joined forces with them to get majority support? If you had been so against them two years ago, why the sudden change of heart? I am totally confused by this, and personally, I cannot reconcile this.

You go on to say that as a start, you will elect a cabinet that is clean, and with integrity and calibre. Again, I ask the same question, how do you form a cabinet with people that only two years ago, you referred to as thieves and “dua kali lima”? You might have forgotten making these statements on the campaign trail, but I have not. There are even videos to refresh your memory that you can refer to. Or perhaps, I am just naive to think that leopards can’t change their spots, even after two years. Perhaps, you have a grander plan that my simple mind cannot fathom.

Your statements that you will be a PM for all, regardless of race and social status, are encouraging. The plans to focus on health and education are indeed heartening. It would be interesting to hear your plans on this. You also went on to say you understand that the people want a country that is stable, peaceful and prosperous. Would it be unfair to say the action of bringing down the previous government created instability, and also caused the stock market to plunge? How do you propose to stop this from happening again, seeing that the majority in Parliament is still being disputed?

State governments have fallen and been taken over by the new pact. This is, again, clearly against the people’s mandate, and subsequently, causes instability. How do you explain or reconcile this? How do we stop party-hopping from happening, because demonstrably, party-hopping that results in the downfall of a government and betrays the people’s mandate is morally wrong. It creates instability and affects prosperity. After all, RM43 billion was lost in a single day on the local bourse. Am I naive to think that this wouldn’t have happened if not for the political crisis?

The parties in the new pact, save for Bersatu and the 11 ex-PKR members, were not given the mandate by the people. As stated earlier, Bersatu and these 11 had campaigned and won the elections under the PH banner. It is pure irony that those who lost in 2018 are now part of the ruling pact. The way I see it, most of our MPs are all self-serving and self-absorbed, and dare I say, interested only in power and position. That needs to change. Does the mandate given by the people not mean anything? Does this not dilute, or even nullify, the power of the people?

Yes, I have many questions, and I believe many other people have the same questions, if not more. As you are supposed to serve the people, that would mean, in my my simple mind, that your actions are answerable to the people. We are your paymasters, not the other way around.

With all due respect, sir, I humbly request for some answers.

In conclusion, I wish you all the best, and hope that we can move forward together and make this country a better place for us all. – March 3, 2020.

* Dharm Navaratnam reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.

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Comments

  • Well said, thank you. This is exactly the same questions that I had in my mind but just like you, I am just a humble single rakyat who cant do anything even though I had practice my constitutional right in 2018 which heve been betrayed by all these politicians.

    Posted 6 years ago by Faizul Rahman Fauzi · Reply

  • Today, everyone gets to know he has not enough CLEAN people to form the government....hahahaha. A typical proverb in China says "not wanting to shit but only loving to occupy the jamban"

    Posted 6 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply

  • And the first one yo make the bee line was the tainted former dpm. Got caught with his pants down though.

    Posted 6 years ago by TC Koh · Reply

  • Dear new pm. Remember this?
    https://youtu.be/jzmKi-E0TEY

    Posted 6 years ago by Hng Tommy · Reply

  • A very nice but naive piece. You think PM8 do not know what you are ranting!!!!!. Does he care when the ultimate objective is the Premiership.!!!. Right now all the charades from him and his cohorts spewing out moderation offerings make one see the real color of their character in hypocrisy and greed The fake clergy men are actually greedy politicians in the guise of Mullahs wanabees. I am sure Muhyiddin is very conscious and awared of his limitation and general weakness which will see him always fanning off his adversaries withing the coalition of Perikatan nasional. All of them are covert and stealth in skinning him off. Much more dangerous than the Opposition Bloc of PH who are clearly transparent in their effort to unsettled him from the chair too. Has he got what it takes to hold on ?????? Let's see ----- A ) He does not have the "physical fit" to carry the weight of a PM task which are very demanding. He will withered off by stress as the playground is now an open field where the most vilest will conquer . He does not have the "shield" as he is still new in that position to build up his own vanguard to act as buffer and protections.. B )He does not possess enough of intellect or resilency to do battle royale inside Perikatan Nasional as many are out for his chair. Nothing to hide and be shy about for in Perikatan Nasional is the den of fakes, fraudster , thieves, crooks, criminals and betrayers of the most venomous and selfishly sly to back stab him without a second to spare.His closes current buddy who has propped him has accquire the taste of playing back stabbing and betrayal , definitely when opportunity strike will without remorse kick him down as he thinks he is better than the PM8. Everyone is for himself as the weight is too heavy if there is no power to walk down the corridor of politics. My sincere advise to Muhyiddin -- enjoy it while you can and be prepared to face unkind eventuality as you have "Let the games begin".

    Posted 6 years ago by Lee Lee · Reply

  • IMHO, (ok, call it a conspiracy theory)

    ................... this was a counter-coup.

    The "real" coup, which FAILED, was to install a "dictator" to rule through a "Unity Government" whereby political parties are irreverent and cronies and sycophants are chosen instead of MPs.

    Think carefully ...... the AWOL at Sheraton ..... the resignation to remove the PH cabinet .... actions to give rise to a dictator "BEHOLDEN TO NO ONE" ...... and after failure, "THE ONE" blamed the heads of both political blocks.

    This may explain the baffling silence and inaction from PH, unlike in years past. No street protests, rallies, demonstrations, etc. Even the young radicals and street fighters are muted.

    They don't trust "THE ONE" anymore and are ambivalent about putting him back in power again.

    Posted 6 years ago by Malaysian First · Reply