IN a world where wearing masks is now the new normal, there is another mask that is invisible but no less powerful. It is the mask of a despot finally falling off.

Since Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s first few months in office, he has carefully spun the narrative he wants the rakyat to believe – that of a loving and caring father. Rebranding himself as “Abah”, he promised that no one would be left behind because that is just not what responsible Abahs do. It is an insidious move meant to tug at gullible hearts.

Seven months later, rather than risking any chances of losing what power he has shamelessly gained, Muhyiddin is now pulling out all the stops to ensure that Perikatan Nasional (PN) cements its precarious position indefinitely. Yes, even if it means resorting to measures as extreme and draconian as pushing for a state of emergency.

This sly move is absolutely appalling because not even the worst Covid-19-stricken countries like America or India have done it. Currently, America is looking at almost 9 million cases and more than 230,000 deaths. India isn’t too far behind either, with almost 8 million cases and more than 110,000 deaths.

On the other hand, Malaysia has 25,742 cases and 221 deaths at the time of writing. While there is no doubt that our situation is going from bad to worse due to PN’s pathetic management of the crisis, these figures certainly do not warrant declaring a state of emergency.

Why? Because Muhyiddin’s move is utterly and thoroughly politically motivated. The only “emergency” here is him dying to hang on to power that never belonged to him in the first place.

Knowing full well that parliamentary support for him can fall through the floor at any moment, he uses the saintly guise of a pandemic to legitimise his illegitimate reign.

Consider this, why else would he rush all the way to Pahang on Thursday just to meet the Yang di-Pertuan Agong? This is at a point in time when residents living in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Sabah and Labuan are not allowed to leave their states, except for justifiable reasons.

Yet, Muhyiddin travels interstate at his own whim and fancy. What happened to his whole speech on not practising double standards?

In addition, media reports have revealed that should a state of emergency be declared, only political activities would screech to a halt. Economic activities and life as we know it would go on as normal.

Why would Muhyiddin choose to suppress political activities and nothing else if he really treated Covid-19 as an emergency? If he was so concerned about how Covid-19 has ravaged the country, why is he hardly lifting a finger to help Sabah out of its worst nightmare? The Sabah state elections literally just ended. It’s only been a month since then, yet the PN state government they voted for have left them high and dry!

Front-liners in Sabah are breaking their backs trying to treat patients and save lives, but what does Abah concern himself with? His own political survival!

Let’s not forget Selangor. Why would the health director-general and the Ministry of Health suddenly withhold raw Covid-19 data from Selangor when they’ve been sharing it for months? Why now, why at all, why in the midst of the worst wave? After Sabah, Selangor is the next state to be worst hit by the virus!

Perhaps it is because Muhyiddin is fully aware of the fact that Selangor is more than just the political heartbeat of the nation, it is also an opposition-led state. Most opposition MPs in Peninsular Malaysia either live in Selangor or spend a lot of time in the state.

Stopping the flow of raw data to Selangor can cripple the state’s fight against Covid-19, as well as distract and wear it down in other aspects of governance. It could also be a vengeful move against Selangorians who have been voting for Pakatan Harapan in the last three general elections. Muhyiddin is attacking where it hurts most.

As long as Abah’s government can stay in power unchallenged and uncontested, it seems it has no qualms about sacrificing the future and welfare of 31 million Malaysians. This is the true face of Abah. He doesn’t carry a rotan. He carries a whip. – October 25, 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.