Can Perikatan be a happy family?


EVER since Muhyiddin Yassin revealed his controversial cabinet line-up early this week, talk has been rife about its composition.

One thing’s for certain – the strength of this so-called alliance will be tested by how members of its mostly Malay components get along.

As usual, Umno members are always the ones who take the lead in throwing rotten eggs at others. Oh, and by the way, they’ve got baskets full. Like a baby throwing tantrums because they don’t get what they want, certain Umno members are already whining and complaining about Muhyiddin’s choice of cabinet.

Reason? They feel that they didn’t get what they truly deserve. They deserve much more, therefore, they should have been given more. Ladies and gentlemen, this is what we call a false and unfounded sense of entitlement.

Whenever it comes to power and position, almost no one else can rival their obsession. You’ve got to take your hats off to them; at least, they are really consistent in this regard. You can also be sure that when Umno isn’t happy about something, that spells trouble on the horizon as they hate taking “no” for an answer.

Moving on to PAS. Let’s not forget that the green party has not been a part of the federal government ever since Barisan Nasional expelled it on November 14, 1977. Yes, believe it or not, PAS used to be a part of BN! So, this is actually the first time that the party is back in the government after 43 long years, albeit by overturning the people’s choice at the ballot box. What a way to make a comeback!

Think about it; how does a party that has been walking the solitary path of extremism for so long suddenly learn to be moderate and play nice with others? Even when it had the chance, PAS simply could not peacefully co-exist with other parties. Back when it was a part of Pakatan Rakyat, it unceremoniously severed ties with DAP in 2015, leading to the coalition’s demise and its subsequent revamp as Pakatan Harapan.

So let’s not be deceived here. Just because PAS is small, it doesn’t make it the underdog. Despite having comparatively few members, the party has never shown restraint in its rhetoric or policies.

However, the red flags don’t stop there. Muhyiddin probably thought that he could save himself some grief by breaking with tradition and choosing four senior ministers from different parties instead of selecting a deputy prime minister. Perhaps by doing this, he assumes that he can keep political rift in his already wobbly government at bay.

Consider this, however. Instead of having just one deputy prime minister to work with, he now has four individuals whose views and opinions he has to take into account. Assuming that all four are on a par with one another, just how will Muhyiddin decide on who to listen to if the four have conflicting priorities and agendas? And of course they would. After all, each senior minister is from a different party with their own selfish agendas.

Common sense dictates that Muhyiddin cannot be seen to prefer one over the other, for that would be favouritism and political suicide. At the same time, he cannot pander to their every whim and fancy. Malaysia’s eighth prime minister doesn’t just have to run his new unelected government; he also has to make sure that his four senior ministers don’t end up sabotaging one another and starting another war.

It is certainly no secret that Perikatan Nasional has been vehemently accusing PH of incessant politicking and infighting, supposedly leading to the latter’s collapse. Therefore, it is highly ironic that just two weeks after the power grab that rocked our nation, cracks are already showing in PN’s marriage of convenience.

So, can PN truly be one big happy family? When greed for power and position forms the foundation of any alliance, when treachery tramples on democracy, when politicians put themselves before the people, the answer is a loud and resounding “no”. – March 15, 2020.

* Lara Ling 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.


Sign up or sign in here to comment.


Comments


  • One look at TSMY's cabinet and one realize it was chosen to cement his position and make up the numbers. How else to explain posts given to "one-MP-party opportunists" from Sabah and PKR traitors? Clearly to buy their support to form PN.

    Despite their rantings and threat of snap elections, UMNO and PAS are practically impotent. Their only revenge are their supporters do a "Tanjung Piai" on Bersatu's candidates in GE15 to teach them a lesson.

    Posted 4 years ago by Malaysian First · Reply