MUHYIDDIN Yassin has declared that he has the support of MPs from the two main coalitions who were the biggest victors in Sabah and Sarawak.

Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) share 28 seats between them, while Muhyiddin’s Perikatan Nasional (PN) has 73. That adds up to 101, which is way short of a majority of 112.

The PN chairman still needs the support of MPs from Barisan Nasional (BN). But BN as a coalition is conspicuously absent from his announcement that he has enough support to form the government. 

Yes, BN as a coalition. Not individual BN MPs, who must number at least 11 for PN to have a simple majority. 

While it is true that the Federal Constitution requires the king to exercise the discretion to appoint as prime minister the person he feels is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the MPs, irrespective of MPs’ party memberships or affiliations, one must remember that MPs are seated in the Dewan Rakyat in government or opposition blocs.

Accordingly, BN MPs must be seated in either bloc. If they are divided between the two blocs, in parliamentary terms, BN MPs would have crossed the floor. 

That, arguably, would have offended the new anti-party hopping law. The BN MPs seated in the wrong bloc would accordingly lose their seats. 

So, while it is true the constitutional anti-party hopping provisions do not prevent an entire party from shifting its allegiance, it also means an entire party must be collective in its allegiance.

Any decision on allegiance must be made as a party. The 30 BN MPs must ponder this. 

Coincidentally, embattled BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has said all BN MPs who won in the general election have signed a pledge and given him the mandate as party president to decide on any political collaboration to form the government.

So, despite the thrashing it got at the polls on Saturday, BN is in a kingmaker position.

But it has to be a collective decision. – November 21, 2022. 

* Hafiz Hassan 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.