FORMER Johor Baru MP Shahrir Samad believes that the government can continue functioning as usual with Ismail Sabri Yaakob helming the nation as caretaker prime minister.

He said this would transfer the country’s premiership back to the rightful party, Umno.

“Ismail Sabri has already been appointed deputy prime minister. Even if Muhyiddin Yassin steps down, there are already deputies who can take over.

“Before this, there were (just) senior ministers. They will quarrel with each other because they do not know who the PM really trusts to help him, but now it is clear.

“Ismail Sabri can be the caretaker PM and the government is not shaken,” Shahrir added in a Facebook posting.

He also said that as caretaker PM, it was crucial for Ismail Sabri to obtain and confirm majority support from Parliament as soon as possible.

This would restore confidence and political stability.

Failure to do so will breed resentment and unrest which ultimately prolong political instability, added the Umno veteran.

“If Ismail Sabri is actually the prime iminster, he should not forget to get the support of the Dewan Rakyat as the late Hussein Onn did on January 27, 1976, (12 days after his appointment), and also like Abdullah Ahmad on December 3, 2003, (three days after his appointment),” Shahrir said.

He also hit out at Muhyiddin over his refusal to confirm his parliamentary majority through a vote of confidence despite his 16 months in power.

His remark came following Umno’s announcement late yesterday to withdraw support for Muhyiddin as prime minister with immediate effect.

This announcement came within 12 hours after the prime minister announced the appointment of Ismail Sabri as deputy prime minister.

Muhyiddin has yet to respond to the decision, while analysts have said that the government can continue as long as Umno MPs, including the ministers and deputies, remain in the PN pact despite their party’s decision.

Shahrir said this scenario was possible, and pointed out to Muhyiddin’s own action in 2008 following Umno’s poor performance in GE12.

“Muhyiddin continued to sit in the cabinet after stating that Abdullah (Ahmad) Badawi should resign as prime minister as soon as possible from the proposed one-year period (following the poor election results in which BN lost its two-thirds majority).

“The Umno Supreme Council stance should not make Umno ministers feel guilty or ashamed of (continuing to support) for Muhyiddin because, after speaking in Singapore and calling for Abdullah to step down immediately, he then continued to sit in the cabinet chosen by Abdullah without any sense of guilt or shame,” Shahrir said.

This past episode shows that Umno ministers should not feel ashamed or guilty in continuing to serve under Muhyiddin’s cabinet, Shahrir said.

He added that they should also have clear principles and philosophies.

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, while announcing the party’s withdrawal of support last night, said that Muhyiddin should resign and let an interim prime minister take over his responsibilities.

“Umno urges Muhyiddin to resign with honour, to allow a new prime minister to be appointed for a limited term,” Zahid said in the 12.50am live broadcast.

The priority of the interim prime minister, he said, is to take care of people’s welfare and to hold the leadership role until “herd immunity” against Covid-19 is achieved.

After that, the country should hold a fresh general election, he said. – July 8, 2021.