Saturday, February 29, 2020

Muhyiddin Can Stay As PM8 If Mukhriz Is DPM &FM


Extracts from Malaysia-Today:

by RPK


This whole matter does not involve THE PEOPLE. It is about making Mukhriz Mahathir the next Prime Minister.

When Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi refused to help Mukhriz, Mahathir ousted him. Then Najib refused to help Mukhriz in 2009 and 2013, so Mahathir ousted him as well and took over himself.


PM-to-be Muhyiddin

Mahathir will agree to Muhyiddin as PM8 if Mukhriz is appointed the Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister

Mahathir is not sure he can trust Anwar Ibrahim to help Mukhriz so he refuses to allow Anwar to take over as PM8.

Mahathir then plotted with Muhyiddin Yassin that he (Muhyiddin) will take over as PM8 (instead of Anwar) and Mukhriz will be his Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister.


Now it looks like Muhyiddin will not keep his “promise” of making Mukhriz his Deputy Prime Minister cum Finance Minister after all. So Mahathir wants back the post of Prime Minister (and become PM9 after PM4, PM7 and PM7.5).

People, my foot! Read my lips: IT IS ALL ABOUT MUKHRIZ! Tidak pernah saya jumpa manusia sebodoh rakyat Malaysia. Demokrasi konon. Kalau pasal demokrasi sudah lama Anwar jadi perdana menteri (PM5) dan bukan tertunggu-tunggu sebagai Prime Minister-in-waiting sampai mati.


Pakatan has 114 SD's disputing Muafakat has majority


Wakakaka, the circus isn't over yet.

It seems there's no end to the dispute on who should be the 8th PM. Pakatan has just claimed it has 114 SD's, the last being Baru Bian's.

Baru Bian signing SD supporting Mahathir 

Furthermore, Mukhriz said the claim of 36 PRIBUMI MPs backing Muhyiddin has been questionable as 6 supported Mahathir, namely Mukhriz himself, Syed Saddiq and 4 others.


But two of those 4 were Bapa Kasut-Hitam Maszlee and Eddie Syazlee Shith.

As reported by Malaysiakini, Maszlee did declare support for Mahathir prior to the palace announcement but three hours later, the Simpang Renggam MP said he was grateful that Muhyiddin had been appointed, and that he honoured the King's decision, wakakaka.


Meanwhile Eddin Syazlee (MP for Kuala Pilah in Negeri Sembilan) who served as
the Deputy Minister of Communications and Multimedia in the last cabinet was reported to be en route to meet Mahathir at Yayasan Albukhary before Muhyiddin's appointment.


But after the news broke that Muhyiddin would be sworn in tomorrow, Eddin Syazlee was spotted at the future prime minister's home instead, wakakaka again.

Still, Muhyiddin would be 4 short (including Mukhriz and Syed Saddiq) of the claimed 36 PRIBUMI MPs if we are to reply on Mukhriz's assertion.

I say, old chap, did aides to Agong make mistake in tallying and erroneously inform His Majesty? 


8th PM if Malaysia - Moody is his name



MM - Istana Negara: Muhyiddin to be sworn in as Malaysia’s PM tomorrow

Anwar Ibrahim puts the nation first


Star Online:

When principles are put to the test

By Terence Fernandez











I WILL spare the details of the rollercoaster this country has been put through this past week.

What needs to be amplified though is that the real character of people has been stripped bare for all to see.

One must keep this in mind the next time we go to the polls – whether it is in the next one month or in three years’ time, the Constitution will (and must) prevail, when some of these characters who have brought chaos to the nation will continue to vie for our votes.

The next time we go to the ballot box, we will be in a better position to decide on the candidate based on the strength of his character or even the party he represents.

Thanks to the “Sheraton 11” and the events they sparked, we now have no Finance Minister while we are in the midst of an economic crisis; we have a health emergency and no Health Minister; and now we have a Constitutional crisis with no Attorney General.

Of course, going back a day or so prior to the events that saw the breakup of the Pakatan Harapan alliance, there was a heated discussion at the Pakatan presidential council meeting, which some relate to “administrative arrogance” that hurt the feelings of one 95-year-old leader.

This was the spark, say insiders, which ignited the fire that has engulfed the whole country.

Although to be fair, the embers had been there from the beginning due to said 95-year-old’s reluctance to pass the baton to the Pakatan-anointed successor.


the "anti-USA" hypocrite 

As the drama keeps unfolding, talks between Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia and Umno have (for now) headed into choppy waters while the divisions within Bersatu are becoming clear.

It has become apparent that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tun Daim Zainuddin have different opinions on the potential premiership of Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

This is because the older Tun (Dr Mahathir) is dead set against Umno members, especially tainted ones returning to government – something Muhyiddin is “flexible” about.


I made you PM, why haven't you reported to me for 6 months 

Meanwhile, Umno has become more vocal in its demands, aware of the weight its 39 seats thrown behind Muhyiddin and Bersatu carry.

Among them are a deputy premiership and its choice of attorney general to replace the recently retired Tan Sri Tommy Thomas. Apparently Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah is among its preferred candidates.

This demand is not surprising yet is shocking in its audacity as many Umno leaders are facing corruption charges.

In the meantime, non-Muslim Sabah and Sarawak MPs are in a dilemma over throwing their support behind an alliance that includes PAS as well as Umno leaders accused of kleptocracy. One of them is Darrell Leiking, the Penampang MP.

GPS is also dead set against working with the the DAP due to personality issues with the latter’s leadership.

Meanwhile, at press time, it is understood that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has put his personal ambition to be prime minister on hold, to throw his support behind Dr Mahathir, allowing for what many call a photo finish for the premiership between Dr Mahathir and Muhyiddin.

Whatever the case, the politician who will ultimately come out on top is the one who puts the nation first.

They say Malaysians have short memories. But this watershed moment in our nation’s history will be remembered for a long time, especially in the not-too-distant general election.


sacrificing to Mahathir and good for Pakatan

At least for me, this is when the strength of the individuals’ character in the face of crisis and opportunity will resonate the most.

In the words of DAP leader the late Karpal Singh, who was regarded as politics’ moral compass, “In politics there are no permanent enemies or permanent friends, but there must be permanent principles”.

What a disgusting world in Malaysian politics



I stay up until 5 am today, went to bed, woke up at 1 pm, and the eff-ing Malaysia political world has changed COMPLETELY.

Now, PH backs Evil Mahathir to be PM with Anwar standing down, whereas yesterday PH said it was backing Anwar Ibrahim to be PM, and Mahathir was backing Muhyiddin. Now, wakakaka, Parti PRIBUMI is backing Muhyiddin against Mahathir.

On the Muafakat side, it's all greed masked by racism and Mahathir-inspired Malay 'Dignity'. On the PH side, it's disgraceful lust for continuing power masked by BS calls to defend democracy.

I am disgusted by the wheeling and dealing - there's not a single shred of principle in Malaysian politics.







PPBM Biggest Betrayer of PH, with Chairman as man of no honour


Star Online:


'Biggest betrayer': Johor PKR dep chief slams Bersatu PRIBUMI


By MOHD FARHAAN SHAH


Johor PKR deputy chief Jimmy Puah Wee Tse 

JOHOR BARU: Johor PKR deputy chief Jimmy Puah Wee Tse has described former Pakatan Harapan partner, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), as the "biggest betrayer".

The Bukit Batu assemblyman also accused former Mentri Besar Datuk Dr Sahruddin Jamal of trying to entice him to crossover and support the new coalition of Umno, Bersatu, MIC and PAS.

“I was called up by Dr Sahruddin to his residence on Tuesday (Feb 25) at around 10.30am, where he asked me to jump into the new coalition.

“When I heard it from him, I was very upset and immediately left. And that is the last time I spoke to him, ” he said when met during a PKR Chinese New Year gathering at Taman Ungku Tun Aminah here on Friday night (Feb 28).

Puah, formerly a state executive councillor in the Pakatan administration, added that he did not blame Umno, PAS, MIC and MCA for the change of government in Johor.

He said the blame should fall on Bersatu as they betrayed Pakatan.

“Some of Bersatu leaders also tried to offer monetary gains to Pakatan assemblymen for them to cross over, but I'm very proud that all of us rejected them.

“We are looking at lodging a report with the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) over this matter, ” he added.

Puah also said the state Pakatan would be having a meeting soon and would be issuing a statement following the appointment of Johor Umno chairman Datuk Hasni Mohammad as the new Mentri Besar.

Earlier, Hasni, the Benut assemblyman, was sworn in as the 18th Mentri Besar before Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar at Istana Bukit Serene here.


Friday, February 28, 2020

Mahathir's failed gambit, to sapu UMNO into PRIBUMI


Denis Ignatius:



Mahathir: a crisis of his own making



What a mess we are in – no prime minister, a deeply divided parliament, a highly polarized populace and an economy on the edge of recession. How did we go from dancing in the streets in joyous celebration over the rebirth of our democracy to facing the possibility of a new kind of dictatorship?

In a word: Mahathir. This was a crisis entirely of his making.

He could have built a strong, stable and workable coalition after GE14. He had the numbers on his side; he had unparalleled goodwill and support; he had the most multiracial coalition that was ever elected to office.

There was general consensus and popular support too for the kind of policies that should be pursued (the reformasi agenda). It was a solid foundation to build that Malaysia Baru we all so desperately wanted and voted for.

But Mahathir being Mahathir, he played his games and wove his web of political intrigue.

To the chagrin of his partners, he stacked the cabinet with members of his own party. He brought Azmin into the cabinet over the objections of Anwar, empowered him and turned him loose to harass and harangue Anwar. He cast doubts about the succession plan and acquiesced to the campaign – including Hadi’s recent confidence motion – for him to complete his full term.


He unashamedly courted the very UMNO politicians that so many despised in a bid to outflank PKR and DAP. And when that failed, he played the race card against his own coalition partners, sponsoring the Malay Dignity Congress, endorsing all the asinine talk that the Malays had lost power, that Malay disunity had allowed the DAP to become powerful.

Why would a prime minister with a comfortable majority in parliament, with a multiracial, multiparty coalition behind him see the need to play such invidious games unless he had other ambitions?

As a direct consequence of these constant political intrigues, the Pakatan Harapan coalition became gradually unstable. PKR, DAP and Amanah, worried about what he was up to, became increasingly uncomfortable with his leadership though right to the end, they were extremely wary of openly challenging him in order to preserve the coalition.

Even when things reached a climax at last Friday’s PH council meeting, his coalition partners bowed to his will and allowed him to set his own departure date, but even that was apparently not enough to stop the intrigues.

It looked like we were heading towards a Malay unity government last weekend. The sudden gathering of PPBM, UMNO, PAS, Warisan and GPS leaders in Kuala Lumpur was not just happenstance; someone with great authority must have summoned them.

But it fell apart at the last moment reportedly because UMNO MPs would not abandon their party to join PPBM. While Azmin and Muhyiddin were apparently ready to accept UMNO – tainted leadership and all – Mahathir was adamantly opposed to the “crooks and kleptocrats” (as one of Mahathir’s men put it) joining the unity government. In the end, Sabah and Sarawak leaders too got cold feet.


When it became clear that things were spinning out of control, Mahathir hastily withdrew and subsequently resigned though not apparently with the intention of departing.

Whichever way you look at it, Mahathir doesn’t come out smelling sweet. He plotted against his own coalition and is now distancing himself from the plot after it went awry. And now, ever the consummate politician, he is trying to profit from the chaos he created by calling for a non-party government under his leadership.

Having failed to build a new coalition, he is now asking (going by his address to the nation last night) for the right to rule unhindered by coalition politics and without obligation to the elected representatives of the people in parliament assembled. And with a government entirely of his choosing and completely beholden to him.

More than that, he is demanding that he alone be allowed to determine what’s best for the nation and govern accordingly. It is in effect, a demand to cede power to him at least till the next election. He calculates he can survive because parliament is too divided to stand up to him.


He should not be allowed to get away with it. It is undemocratic. It is unprincipled. And it puts too much power in the hands of a man with a terrible record of abusing it.


He returned to power in May 2018 on the promise of change and reform and as part of a team. If he cannot remain committed to both, he should resign.

With him out of the way, Anwar might well have an opportunity to cobble together a majority in parliament and form a government. Anwar will, of course, have to prove that he has the smarts to negotiate and convince other parties (especially Warisan and GPS) that he is the right man for the job.

It won’t be easy. He is himself a divisive figure. His support not just among the majority Malay population but across all racial lines is mixed at best. However, if he has the numbers going for him, he should be given the opportunity to form the government.

If not, another general election with all the uncertainty and nightmare scenarios that it might entail will be unavoidable.

Our democracy is once again at a crossroads. Many will, no doubt, be tempted to accede to Mahathir’s demand for one-man rule for the sake of security, stability and a return to economic growth. The possibility of UMNO-PAS coming back to power through fresh elections and perhaps reprieving the crooks and kleptocrats might also be just too much to countenance.

Anwar might provide a middle path between the two extremes of one-man rule or rule by kleptocrats. He is certainly not perfect (neither is Mahathir) but he represents a democratic option that might give the nation the time it needs to take a step back, to refocus, to recalibrate.


Ben Franklin, one of the fathers of American independence once noted that those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.

We should all think carefully about the choices before us and find a way to make our views known.


Moody quietly quietly may catch the monkey


Malaysiakini:




Will Muhyiddin claim his third scalp?


ANALYSIS | Since the onset of the political crisis, the spotlight has been on two characters – Azmin Ali and Dr Mahathir Mohamad - who were perceived as responsible for the implosion of the Pakatan Harapan government.

Azmin was accused of orchestrating the "Sheraton Move", a putsch designed to install a new government with Umno and PAS helmed by Mahathir.

Mahathir, on the other hand, was accused of reneging on his commitment to Harapan as well as his promise to pass the baton to PKR president Anwar Ibrahim and reclaim the coveted post for the third time in the past three decades.

However, the events which unfolded over the past 24 hours indicated that the person pulling the strings was someone else - Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin.

Firstly, consider that Azmin and his faction are no longer backing Mahathir as prime minister and sworn allegiance for Muhyiddin.



Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin and Azmin Ali joining a dinner for MPs at the Sheraton Hotel, Petaling Jaya on Feb 23, 2020
note how the  bodeking-traitor would always walk by the side of his hope-to-be benefactor, be that Anwar, Mahathir or now Moody

Secondly, Mahathir revealed yesterday that plans are underway to nominate Muhyiddin as prime minister of a government that would consist of all Umno MPs.

Previously, Bersatu MPs had pledged their support for Mahathir, who wants to establish a unity government with him in charge.

There was also a news report citing PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man claiming that all Umno and PAS MPs were instructed to nominate Muhyiddin for prime minister when they were interviewed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Although the secretaries-general for Umno and PAS have denied this, some Umno MPs have told Malaysiakini that it was true.

Muhyiddin has been mostly under the media radar since the crisis erupted. However, his tactical manoeuvres are becoming clearer.

While other Bersatu chief ministers such as Faizal Azumu (Perak) and Mukhriz Mahathir (Kedah) chose to uphold Harapan's mandate in their respective states, the situation is different in Muhyiddin's home state of Johor.

Yesterday, the Harapan government in Johor collapsed, in part due to Muhyiddin and his faction deciding to form a new government with Umno and PAS.



more treacherous than a snakemore boh-laam-pah than Oz is to USA 

Muhyiddin is the Gambir state assemblyperson. It is, therefore, a foregone conclusion that Muhyiddin had voted for a new government when he was interviewed by the Johor ruler, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar.

Just this evening, Umno's Hasni Mohammad was sworn in as the new Johor menteri besar, replacing Bersatu's Dr Sahruddin Jamal while Umno and PAS, which insisted on snap polls in order for the rakyat to decide, are now backing Muhyiddin.

Muhyiddin, 72, has a history of participating in attempts to dislodge serving prime ministers.

In 2008, then an Umno vice-president, Muhyiddin joined forces with those within Umno seeking Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's resignation as prime minister.

In 2016, Muhyiddin was expelled from Umno for allegedly being involved in a plot to topple Najib Abdul Razak. A year earlier, he was dropped from the cabinet. He was the deputy premier at the time.



Moody has a PhD in sabotaging own party boss(es)
wakakaka 

According to sources, Mahathir walked out of a meeting this morning with Bersatu MPs after it became clear that they were about to form an alliance with Umno, which he loathes.

Have the stars finally aligned in Muhyiddin's favour and would he become the eighth prime minister of Malaysia and etch his name in the history books as the person who took the scalps of both Mahathir and Anwar with a single strike?

However, it would be unwise to rule out Mahathir. Those who underestimated him in the past have had their scalps added to the nonagenarian's impressive collection.

The Game of Thrones continues.






Malaysia Boleh in Changing 'DirectionS'


FMT:

Political leaders descend on Muhyiddin’s house


Former Umno vice-president Hishammuddin Hussein (left) arriving at Muhyiddin Yassin’s house 

PETALING JAYA: A number of prominent political leaders have arrived at Muhyiddin Yassin’s residence in Bukit Damansara amid talk that the PPBM president is almost certainly on the way to becoming Malaysia’s eighth prime minister.

Former Umno vice-president Hishammuddin Hussein, Warisan president Mohd Shafie Apdal, PPBM Supreme Council member Redzuan Yusof, PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan and Jeli MP Mustapa Mohamed were among those spotted.

Hishammuddin said it was important for Malaysians to keep a clear and calm mind at this time, stressing that the interests of the nation and the people were the priority.

“Basically, I have met all the leaders in the country, and I think we need to sit down with a calm mind and sincere heart, with the people and country as the paramount interest, to navigate these waters

“I hope the public will understand that it’s not an easy route but we are doing this really for the nation.

“We don’t want to make any mistakes along the way because we have to make the right decisions at this time.


Warisan president Mohd Shafie Apdal at Muhyiddin Yassin’s house 

“And we have good leaders here to make sure that can be achieved, God-willing,” he told reporters outside Muhyiddin’s house today.

A total of 36 PPBM MPs had met earlier today to nominate Muhyiddin for prime minister after Istana Negara’s announcement that it would meet political leaders before making a decision.

The meeting was also attended by PPBM’s 10 new MPs — the group of PKR MPs who quit the party following the sacking of its deputy president, Mohamed Azmin Ali.

About an hour later, PAS and Umno confirmed that all their 57 MPs would back the PPBM president.

Directoiomns'Umno secretary-general Annuar Musa and his counterpart in PAS, Takiyuddin Hassan, have confirmed the support in a brief statement.

The latest development appears to be a blow to PKR president Anwar Ibrahim’s prime ministerial ambitions.


As PM, Anwar's charisma can save PH government


FMT:

Analyst tells why a PH government, minus PPBM, may not last


by Robin Augustin


Political analyst Chandra Muzaffar says if the Malay community’s representation in the government is weak, it will be unstable 

PETALING JAYA: A political analyst has voiced doubt that a Pakatan Harapan-led government can survive, owing to its current composition where it is dominated by non-Malay and non-Bumiputera MPs.

Speaking to FMT, Chandra Muzaffar said as it stands, PH’s 92 MPs were backing PKR president Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister, meaning the Port Dickson MP would need another 20 more MPs from outside the coalition to support him.

Currently, of PH’s remaining 92 MPs, following the exit of PPBM and 11 MPs alligned to former PKR deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali, some 59 are non-Muslim and 33 are Muslims.

Chandra said Malaysia was rooted in Malay polity, centred around a Malay political system, including its institutions.

“So if the community’s representation in the government is weak, it will be unstable.”

Earlier today, the Malay Economic Action Council (MTEM), the country’s largest umbrella group of Malay economic bodies, had warned that any government formed without support from Malay-based parties will be short-lived.

Chandra said PH only won some 27% of the Malay vote at the 14th general election, and that was while PPBM and Azmin’s faction was still with them.

“Now, the Malay support for PH will be lower because PPBM and Azmin’s faction are not there, not to mention that Malay support for the coalition has also been eroding, as evidenced by the recent by-elections.”

He added that PKR, while being Malay-led, relied more on its non-Malay support base while Amanah was too small. As such, neither can fill the void left by PPBM.

Chandra said with Umno and PAS having a strong antipathy towards DAP, Anwar would have to secure the support of individual MPs.

“The problem is, rightly or wrongly, a PH-led government will be seen as being controlled by DAP. This is what may make it challenging to get individual MPs from Umno and PAS to join.”


James Chin 

James Chin, of the University of Tasmania’s Asia Institute, meanwhile said that if Anwar succeeds in becoming PM, he will bring in more Malays.

“He knows he cannot have the Malays sitting outside and will probably do a deal with PPBM or Umno.”

He added that a PH-led government could still secure Malay votes in the future but only if they dramatically increase the number of Malay MPs.

“This is possible as many MPs want to be in the ruling coalition.”


But Chin said PH must show that a multiracial government is better than one dominated by one race as history has shown that a multiracial government is far more stable than one that is not.


Awang Azman Pawi 

Universiti Malaya’s Awang Azman Pawi, meanwhile, said PH having more non-Malay MPs would only be temporary. If Anwar becomes PM, he said more Malays would want to join him, be it en bloc or being PH-friendly.

“If the Conference of Rulers gives Anwar a chance to become PM and form a minority government, it will still stand a chance, despite facing a possible vote of no confidence in Parliament.

“Anwar’s advantage is his charisma and he can surely attract more Malay MPs to cross over.”


"What is left when honour is lost?"

 Post title is a quote from Roman Publilius Syrus [85–43 BCE]


Malaysiakini:





A man who does not act with honour



Ability without honour is useless

- Marcus Tullius Cicero [106 BC - 43 BC]


It's very clear now that interim prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad is not a man who acts with honour.

I had heard from insiders that he would step down after Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit even before he first announced it. Then he himself said several times that he would keep his promise of handing over the premiership to Anwar. These two bits of information prompted me to doggedly maintain the stand that he would do as he said. Until last week.

Now I see he probably wasn't counting on keeping that promise. I was foolish to have believed it.

I don't know for sure if he was directly involved in the recent coup to get rid of the Pakatan Harapan government and install a backdoor one, but I can guess that he certainly knew about it. And knowing about it, he should have done the honourable thing of stopping it before it got to crisis point. He should have protected his Harapan government.




After that, he should have also done the honourable thing of sticking with his Harapan allies instead or resigning and abandoning them to the wolves waiting and slobbering at the back door. By resigning, he let them all down.

Then when his allies asked him to come back to discuss salvaging the coalition, he refused.

Next thing you know he's talking about forming a unity government which would have got his Harapan allies in a tight spot because they could sense he would be bringing in new and old political foes to work with them. Why should they have to be subjected to such humiliation? Not only that, a unity government would have given him untrammelled power. Having known how he operated, how could they trust him again?




Determined to push it through, he went to see the Agong to get approval for his unity government proposal but was, by some accounts, unsuccessful. So he announced that a special sitting would be convened in Parliament on March 2 to let the MPs decide who would command the majority to be PM.

But this process is not in accordance with the Federal Constitution, as several legal experts have pointed out. So how could he have proposed it? Has he, perhaps, become nyanyuk?




Later, he revealed that Muhyiddin Yassin was being considered by Bersatu to be candidate for PM, and that he would be okay with that. He didn't dare say that he was actually the one who nominated Muhyiddin. But Bersatu supreme council member Redzuan Mohd Yusof let the cat out of the bag shortly after when he spoke to the media.

What a piece of work Mahathir is! He would not patch Harapan back, he would not accept PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim as candidate, and now he nominates Muhyiddin as PM!

Wan Azizah kept her promise

He even said that if he were PM, he would not have been able to work with Umno because of the crooks in it but Muhyiddin could because the latter was "lenient". If that's the case, how can it be okay for him to nominate Muhyiddin knowing that the latter would bring Umno into his government when he, Mahathir, himself could not agree with that in principle? What blooming logic is this? Aren't he and Muhyiddin from the same party?

You see now the duplicity in the things Mahathir does?

You see now that all this while he was probably reluctant to keep his promise to make way for Anwar to be the 8th prime minister?

But a promise is a promise. Any man who breaks a promise as serious as this is a man who does not have honour.




More than that, right after Harapan won GE14, the Agong then offered the PM position to Wan Azizah (being leader of the largest party) but she declined. She said she had promised that Mahathir would be PM and she intended to keep her promise. She is a woman of honour.

But does Mahathir show his appreciation for her gesture? Well, he has broken his own promise to her husband, what more is there to say?

I only have this to end with, though: As far as I'm concerned, Mahathir's legacy will henceforth be marked with shame.



KEE THUAN CHYE is the author of the bestselling book ‘The People's Victory’.


Mahathir painted himself into a corner


finance-twitter:

The Triangle Power Struggle – Mahathir Trapped Himself By Announcing His Refusal To Work With UMNO:


WTF? How did I end up eff-ing my glorious imperial own self? 

Like the Chinese ancient Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Malaysia’s current political crisis has transformed into three major coalitions fighting for the throne. The triangle power struggle consists of Mahathir’s coalition (63 MPs), Anwar’s coalition (92 MPs) and BN-PAS’ coalition (61 MPs). None of them has the magic number of 112 MPs required to form a simple-majority government.


chaam Mah Har Thia ay t'au 👎😈😂😂😂  

The current situation is so fluid – and exciting – that any articles written could be obsolete by the time it’s published. Just when it was thought that Mahathir Mohamad, the 7th prime minister who suddenly resigned, but appointed by the Agong (King) as the interim prime minister, would be crowned again as the 8th prime minister, it’s now possible that the 94-year-old man could be jobless.


the old man could be jobless?
wakakaka
 

And all that could happen within this week alone. The triangle power struggle emerges primarily because Mahathir wanted to create what is known as a “unity government”, an ideal government where all the good, bad and ugly politicians from both sides of the political divide have a chance to be included in the government. In short, it’s one big happy family without the Opposition.



Unfortunately, there’s one huge problem. The country is plagued with racism, discrimination, extremism, xenophobia and all forms of bigotry that you can find in the dictionary, thanks to over 60 years of one-party rule. Coincidentally, Mahathir, the man who now wants a unity government is also the same man who had spent more than a third of those 60 years destroying the once harmony country.

It’s not hard to understand why so many people distrust Mahathir to lead a unity government. He was the man who practised dictatorial-style leadership and gerrymandering and misused institutional tools to manipulate an electoral process to stay in power for 22 years (from 1981 to 2003). And now he expects people to give him a blank cheque to rule until his death like Peter the Great?

Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition refuses to work with BN-PAS coalition and vice-versa. Both coalitions accuse each other of being racist, extremist and whatnot. At the same time, Mahathir appeared in television yesterday (Feb 26) saying UMNO (a component party of BN) cannot join his unity government. The old man, however, welcome UMNO members but not UMNO party.



Therefore, all bets were off. The alliance of BN (Barisan Nasional) and PAS Islamist party immediately withdrew their support for Mahathir as the leader of the country. To make matters worse for Mahathir, Anwar’s PH coalition also made a stunning U-turn about supporting the old man after he refused to chair the Harapan presidential council meeting on Tuesday (Feb 25).

Mahathir’s refusal to attend the meeting means he had no intention of restoring the previous PH-led government, which also means all the pre-election manifesto would be thrown into the trash bin. Mahathir only wants PH’s powerful bloc of 92 votes, but not the manifesto. He wanted the free hand to explore a new unprecedented political landscape that has not been tested.


Hence, the remaining component parties of PH (Pakatan Harapan) – PKR, DAP and Amanah – were left with no choice but to nominate PKR president Anwar Ibrahim as the next prime minister. In what appears to be proof that the coup circus was orchestrated by Mahathir himself, the old fox has today decided to return back to his party Bersatu and resumes his chairmanship.



Mahathir’s support came from Bersatu (25 MPs), Azmin Ali and his 10 PKR traitors (11 MPs), Sarawak-based GPS (18 MPs) and Sabah-based Warisan (9 MPs). Yes, despite whining and crying about being backstabbed by Azmin, astonishingly, the former deputy PKR president is about to join Bersatu, which would enlarge Mahathir’s party to 36 MPs, just 3 seats less than UMNO.

One of the reasons Pakatan Harapan decided to nominate Anwar, instead of Mahathir as promised earlier, was that the former premier appeared to have trapped himself when he announced to the world that there’s no way he can work with the corrupt UMNO party. That would mean Mahathir will not be able to leverage on BN-PAS’ 61 MPs to achieve his ambitious unity government.

That explains why Anwar’s coalition was incredibly happy when they went to see the King yesterday. Pakatan Harapan’s 92 MPs have a superior number than Mahathir’s 63 MPs. For Mahathir to go back to UMNO and beg for support would be extremely humiliating. Anwar probably was betting that Mahathir would be forced to rejoin PH coalition – quite a clever strategy.



In the eventuality that Mahathir abandons or modify his unity government concept to suit PH’s agenda, everything would be back to its previous configuration, allowing the PH coalition to rule again. Anwar’s camp was also betting that Mahathir would not dare go for a snap election, as doing so would certainly allow the return of BN – and Najib Razak – to the federal government.

But it seems Anwar had chosen to count his chickens before they hatch – again. Mahathir, in his desperation, may go bonkers and work with UMNO after all. The state of Johor has already collapsed after Mahathir’s party decided to work with UMNO in forming a new state government – another
betrayal. Without approval from the top, Bersatu Johor will not dare switch sides
.


After meeting with the King today, Mahathir pre-emptively revealed that a special Dewan Rakyat sitting will be convened on March 2 to see who will be the next prime minister. Mr. Mahathir has also confirmed that Bersatu (PPBM) president Muhyiddin Yassin will be one of the candidates to be offered as the prime minister in the Lower House of Representative.



The biggest giveaway that Mahathir was the hidden hand behind the recent coup to topple his own Pakatan Harapan government is that he now says he can accept if Muhyiddin wants to work with UMNO en bloc. Exactly how could he return to his party after allegedly being betrayed by Muhyiddin, let alone endorsing his lieutenant’s plan to join forces with UMNO?

Now that the King has told Mahathir to fly kite with his unity government, the old fox is tangled in his own web of deceit. If indeed he was betrayed by Muhyiddin and Azmin, he could easily ordered Sarawak-based GPS (18 MPs) and Sabah-based Warisan (9 MPs) to support Anwar’s coalition, instantly gives Pakatan Harapan a comfortable simple majority of 119 parliamentary seats.

Even the idea of going to the Dewan Rakyat to elect among its members a prime minister is unconstitutional. The King must first appoint a prime minister among the 222 MPs whom in his judgement is likely to command the confidence of the majority. The Lower House of Representative is just a place to test whether an “existing” premier enjoys the majority support.



ditaja olih rakyat yang radang 😅😜👍 

Obviously, Muhyiddin is the backup plan. The party’s bloc of 63 MPs, if combined with UMNO-PAS’ 61 MPs, will be sufficient to form a new government with a majority of 124 parliamentary seats. However, that depends on whether UMNO-PAS is ready to play ball. Based on UMNO’s current preparation for a snap election, it doesn’t seem so.

The Johor move was a gift to impress upon UMNO-PAS to support Muhyiddin as the next prime minister, instead of Anwar Ibrahim.


The wisdom behind that was that if Muhyiddin fails to win the beauty contest in the Dewan Rakyat, then a snap election will be called. If that happens, the state of Johor won’t matter because Bersatu on its own will be wiped out completely.

Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan has until March 2 to swing kingmakers Sarawak-based GPS (18 MPs) and Sabah-based Warisan (9 MPs) to his camp. He could, for example, offer deputy prime minister posts for them. Anwar probably should call Mahathir’s bluff that he’s willing to let crooks like Najib Razak and Zahid Hamidi free after all the efforts he had done to prosecute them.



When Mahathir decided to play the coup game, there’s no turning back. This is perhaps his final war for glory, or death. The 94-year-old fox will play all his trump cards to win the throne. However, there’s something that Mahathir can never possess – the awesome brotherhood and loyalty displayed by Anwar Ibrahim, Lim Guan Eng and Mat Sabu (all of them were once prisoners of Mahathir) – built since 1998.