The Days For Muhyiddin Co Are Numbered

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An old friend, who is a former Member of Parliament from Sarawak, called me yesterday and immediately fired this salvo: Do you think the prime minister will step down? Will the government collapse?
I replied in the same point-blank manner as I have been asked: If Muhyiddin Yassin does not step down voluntarily, he might be unceremoniously removed. Either way will spell the end of the PN (Perikatan Nasional) government.
Or the prime minister could desperately clutch at his last straw and call for fresh elections if he was unable to survive a vote of no confidence in Parliament against his leadership.
Constitutionally, calling for snap polls is within Muhyiddin’s authority as prime minister but that will be viewed as “unforgivable” as the nation is still grappling with the deadly Covid-19 pandemic.
Risk holding a general election; be prepared to start counting dead bodies after that. Have we learned nothing from the Sabah election last September?
Are we prepared to sacrifice more lives of Malaysians because our self-serving politicians are unable to let go of power and position like gentlemen?
It is no secret that Muhyiddin has always been keen to call for elections.
In November last year, the prime minister said that he would call fresh polls once the pandemic is over, noting the "difficult and challenging situation" faced by his PN government.
In January this year, Muhyiddin mentioned calling for fresh polls again stating that “we will return the mandate to the rakyat and let them make the decision on which government they want”.
However, a week later on Jan 11, Muhyiddin managed to persuade the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to declare a national emergency in order to battle the pandemic more effectively. At least, that was the official version.
The PN has a slim majority in Parliament; the number varies from time to time depending on the “mood swing” of some MPs.
As of now, July 2021, it is quite clear that Muhyiddin has lost majority support as a substantial number of Umno MPs are expected to withdraw support for PN.
Umno leaders have been holding discreet meetings over the past few days to strategise their next move. One Umno MP has publicly declared that he was prepared to support a new government since the current one was considered a failure.

Umno is debating on whether to quit the Muhyiddin government
It’s clear that Muhyiddin’s position is now untenable. He will have to go. It’s only a question of when. I have said this and I will say it again - I do not see Muhyiddin as prime minister next year, after GE15 or ever again.
Hanging by a thread
Why am I so confident that Muhyiddin will go soon? I am confident because Muhyiddin himself is not confident that he has the numbers in Parliament to continue. He is well aware that he is hanging by a thread, a very thin one.
With the Agong and his brother rulers making an unprecedented move to “speak up” on behalf of the rakyat and take action, the days for Muhyiddin and his backdoor PN government are numbered.
My Sarawak friend agreed, saying that Muhyiddin is cornered this time. Any action seen as going against the wishes of the Agong is a misstep the prime minister could not afford to be linked with.
When did the king ever have to issue three reminders to his government to reconvene Parliament? That says a lot!
Interestingly and not surprisingly, Muhyiddin’s right-hand man Azmin Ali, was also believed to be getting the jitters of a possible fall of the government.
Azmin, together with his band of “traitors” from PKR, was a key player of the Sheraton putsch which brought down the Pakatan Harapan government in February last year.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin (left) and Senior Minister Azmin Ali
Apart from his own “Azmin 10”, many of his colleagues in the cabinet were said to have chosen to keep their distance from him of late after he was described as the most vilified politician in the country.
Azmin’s credibility and integrity is almost zero today. An academician recently wrote that those in Umno and PAS were “allergic” to Azmin. I’m also very allergic to “political frogs”, in particular.
On Sunday, PBS president Maximus Ongkilili, a cabinet colleague, took a dig at Azmin by welcoming the High Court's decision to dismiss an application by Azmin to strike out a suit filed by 10 Gombak voters against him for alleged deceit and breach of fiduciary duty as the MP of the parliamentary constituency.
Ongkili did not mince his word when lauding the court decision in favour of voters against "political frogs".
"We all pray that the outcome of the trial will favour the Gombak voters,” Ongkilili said, adding that “PBS has been speaking up against the unprincipled act of betrayal by elected representatives via party-hopping.”
From a Borneon to a Borneon: Very well expressed, Maximus!
To Muhyiddin, Azmin, Hamzah Zainuddin, and all the political traitors in the PN government, I have a question to ask you: You know what karma is, don’t you? - Mkini

FRANCIS PAUL SIAH is the author of ‘Hijack in Malaysia: The Fall of Pakatan Harapan’. Obtain autographed copies from [email protected]


The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.

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