AS the Covid-19 outbreak is better contained in phase four of the movement control order, political turmoil has resurfaced in the nation. The “Sheraton Move” which led to the fall of the Pakatan Harapan government, which was subsequently replaced by the loosely formed Perikatan Nasional coalition, has failed to stabilise the political ecosystem. 

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohammad has proposed a vote of confidence in Prime Minister  Muhyiddin Yassin in the coming parliament sitting. Dewan Rakyat Speaker Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof has accepted the motio, but mentioned that it will not be tabled during the May session which is limited to a day and has time only to hear the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s royal address and the supplementary bill for the Covid-19 pandemic. The motion will be tabled earliest in the subsequent parliament sitting in July. 

On another note, Dr Mahathir has stated that he is not confident of securing enough members of parliament to support him as the sitting prime minister has allegedly “paid off” his supporters. 

On the second anniversary of the historic May 9 election, do we really want to see the nation continue on its path of political instability? Malaysia is already facing tremendous economic and social challenges due to the coronavirus. Will a vote of no confidence or a change of government at this point in time be helpful in containing the disease or  the economy to recover?

There is no doubt that the Perikatan Nasional government was not elected by the people but nevertheless Muhyiddin was deemed to command the majority support of parliament when he was sworn-in. This was not merely a claim like the Pakatan Harapan coalition’s, but one that was endorsed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.  This makes him the rightful prime minister unless one would like to question the decision and judgment by the King. 

Be it Dr Mahathir or Anwar Ibrahim whom one supports, the key issue now for Pakatan Harapan is not how to return to Putrajaya but to form a force strong enough provide checks and balances to the current government. 

The next general election is less than three years away. At the time of its ousting, support for Pakatan Harapan had plunged from the high of the time when it swept into power.

The people were sick of the infighting, incompetency of the leaders, their personal agendas and so on. Many leaders, upon gaining power,  had started showing their true colours.

Regaining the people’s confidence should be Pakatan Harapan’s urgent task if it wishes to return to Putrajaya.

For that, the formation of a shadow cabinet is the first step in ensuring a more organized check and balance effort to the current government. The coalition has leaders who have previously occupied office in Putrajaya, and thus, should have some experience in running the government. The shadow cabinet will not just only point out the shortcomings of the current government, but also to give fresh ideas on how policy can be improved, how administration can be made more effective, and ultimately, how rakyat can benefit more. 

Through the shadow cabinet, the rakyat will also be able to evaluate if the leaders in the opposition pact will be a better alternative to run the nation. If yes, they can then be voted for in the next general election. The leaders in the opposition will also be able to show the people via this platform how much better they can perform compared to the government in office. 

A shadow cabinet will also be a good platform to train new leaders in the opposition and expose them to the process of policy making and the administration of the country. This will ensure a ready crop of leaders for Malaysia should the opposition manage to make its way back to Putrajaya. 

The country is in crisis at the moment and the opposition should play a positive role in helping it to weather the storm. Support for constructive government policies does not equate support for Perikatan Nasional. The former will certainly be helpful to the rakyat.

At this juncture, rather than a vote of no confidence, I believe a shadow cabinet will do the nation much more good. – May 10, 2020.

* TC Wong 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.