WHEN the Yang di-Pertuan Agong meets Anwar Ibrahim tomorrow, he should be treated in the same manner as Muhyiddin Yassin was back in February. Then, recognising the current public health emergency, the Agong should appoint Anwar as the equivalent of a wartime prime minister.

If Anwar were to be denied the opportunity to lead Malaysia despite his documented majority support in Parliament, then the Agong would risk becoming entangled in the nation’s current toxic political bickering by his favouring one politician over another. 

He would also have to bear the heavy responsibility for unnecessarily exposing Malaysians to Covid-19 should he opt for a general election. The recent experience with Sabah should sober the Agong on that point.

A wartime leader has precedents within and outside Malaysia. Britain had one during both World Wars. Canada invoked its War Measures Act in 1970 following the riots in Quebec. A recent American Library of Congress survey found that many countries including such bastions of democracy as Sweden, Australia, and Germany have already adopted special legislative measures in response to the unprecedented challenges of Covid-19.

In May 1969 the then Agong suspended Parliament following the race riots. He appointed Abdul Razak Hussein as the de facto wartime prime minister, with the National Operations Council, also appointed, as his cabinet. 

The Agong sidelined the leader of the winning coalition Alliance, Tunku Abdul Rahman. Today, unlike in 1969, Agong need not suspend Parliament. It could still continue its oversight functions as with authorising bills.

Although the number of deaths from Covid-19 so far is much lower than with the 1969 riot, nonetheless the uncertainties and number of livelihoods adversely affected already far exceed the 1969 incident, and fast climbing. 

Make no mistake, this Covid-19 pandemic is war – against the smallest and toughest adversary. An effective weapon has yet to be developed. A wartime-type leader is exactly what Malaysia needs now. 

As a wartime prime minister, Anwar would be spared parochial party considerations and petty political obligations that now plague Parliament and the government. He could pick the best in and outside of Parliament or his party to be in his cabinet without having to worry about the political and other ramifications. 

Witness the current obscenity of Muhyiddin’s bloated cabinet, and his appointing scores of MPs to head government-linked companies or as special envoys. Those are but crude schemes to buy the loyalty of these yahoos in Parliament. The public pays twice, one through their incompetence and two, the exorbitant associated costs. 

As for Covid-19, Muhyiddin is but a pathetic figure of an ineffectual abah with a cane to effect his quarantine measures. That is kampung leadership of my youth, well over 60 years ago! 

His Health Minister Dr Adham Baba is no better. All he could offer is air suam (warm water). And this character is a doctor! 

In picking his cabinet, Anwar should exclude those who had served in the Najib Razak administration. Them allowing the 1MDB debacle to happen is disqualification enough. So out with Mustapa Mohamed, Hishammuddin Hussein, and the rest. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor are awaiting criminal trials while Najib is a convicted criminal. He should not even be in Parliament. 

Spared the threat of endless “no-confidence” votes in Parliament, the attendant distracting and destructive political jockeying would be gone. The current army of noisy jumping frogs would have their legs cut off, and Malaysians spared their ceaseless croaking. 

Why jump parties when that would have no effect on the country’s leadership, or more precise, your political position? Slimy characters and jumping frogs like Azmin Ali would now have to divert their back-room skills and posterior apertures elsewhere outside of politics and government.

Calling for a voluntary political ceasefire or for the Agong and Conference of Rulers to have these politicians work together, as a few have suggested, is the height naivety. These are political animals to their core. 

This “wartime” appointment should last until the end of the current parliamentary mandate. Imagine, Malaysians spared the threats of jumping frogs, Sheraton moves, Meridien manoeuvres, and other yet to be exposed back-room shenanigans! 

All, including Anwar and his cabinet, could then focus on their work and the challenges at hand. That would be a welcomed and refreshing relief, quite apart from being productive.

This would also give the various leaders time to strengthen their parties for the 2023 election. Umno for example, could begin the difficult but much-needed task of ridding the corrupt, racists, and incompetent from within its ranks. Currently those political parties are distracted from undertaking these necessary tasks because of the neverending drama and uncertainty in Parliament. Clean, strong, and stable political parties are the backbone of a robust democracy. 

For Anwar, focus on Covid-19, corruption, and education while grooming the next generation of leaders. Execute those well and he would have achieved under three years what Dr Mahathir Mohamad could not in his nearly a quarter of century leadership. 

For Malaysians, a wartime-like leader would be a welcomed and much-needed reprieve from the current endless scheming. The burden of Covid-19 is heavy enough on everyone. – October 12, 2020.

* M. Bakri Musa 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.