Sunday, May 17, 2020

Muhyiddin or Mahathir - we're eff-ed


Malaysiakini:

A parliament vote against Muhyiddin just won’t do

by Manjit Bhatia


COMMENT | P Gunasegaram makes a number of good points in his latest opinion piece. But there’s one by him with which I fundamentally disagree.

It’s on the idea that Parliament, which sits (laughable) on Monday, should be allowed to endorse Muhyiddin Yassin’s tenure as prime minister as indeed it should his Perikatan Nasional (PN) regime.

Given the manner in which the PN regime snatched power at the end of February from a perfectly legitimate Harapan regime – never mind all of its ills and faults – the Muhyiddin regime has resoundingly, undeniably zero legitimacy.

On this, I am at one with Gunasegaram.

But you can't metamorphose an illegitimate regime into a legitimate one by a sheer show of hands in Parliament.

It is too far gone for that.

And not this Parliament at any rate, since it has, like Muhyiddin, no credibility.

No doubt Muhyiddin will claim his regime came to power legally. He did insofar as he did not violate the constitution for his naked grab for power.

But his ethics, and indeed the totality of the regime’s ethics – of its officers and its protectors – remain highly questionable, deeply disturbing and immoral and, thus, should be condemned by the people.


I say by the people because the hopelessly hobbled opposition after shooting itself in the foot now looks entirely in disarray despite Lim Kit Siang's routine moaning from the sidelines and Liew Chin Tong’s regular grandfatherly stories as if he’s trying to salve his (self-inflicted) hurting soul.

Nobody is in any doubt that Malaysia’s Parliament is highly unstable. But it’s also extremely dodgy. It’s a pond of “political frogs" engaged in the incestuous breeding programme of more political frogs.

Muhyiddin cuts a desperately tragic political figure and for that very reason, he has been corrupting members of parliament on his side of the so-called august House, gifting them lucrative side incomes in state agencies and state companies.

If that’s not corruption, I do not know what is given the long history of politicians being insanely corrupt since the onset of a supposedly Malay dilemma.

And now that Muhyiddin has lined these MPs’ pockets, for whom will they vote? Are they suddenly expected to bite the hand that feeds them? Or will moral conscience all of a sudden seize them to do the right thing?

These MPs are driven not by an inherent desire to serve the people and the country. They are driven by self-interest. The bacteria that live in them is called "avarice". Greed by another name.

Money, Greed and The Meaning of Life - Chris Herd - Medium

That is the unaltered temple of the political class since year dot. Not just in Malaysia but everywhere. Any fool will tell you this.


A nation run by crooks for crooks

But in Malaysia, it has taken on a bright new meaning in the wake of the 1MDB scandal that has made the country look every bit like a Third World pariah state run by crooks for crooks. Its name is more than mud; it’s in the toilet.

Not that Mahathir did anything to turn that image around. He proved yet again he is no saviour. Neither is Muhyiddin.


So the best – and only way – to solve the problem of legitimacy/illegitimacy is for Muhyiddin to stop hiding under the cover of the “king's selection” and Covid-19, dissolve Parliament and call an election.

Win or lose, it will be the right and democratic way to decide this problem.

But a warning: if Muhyiddin is allowed to continue as PM, the country will slide even more rapidly into the era of Najib Abdul Razak kleptocracy. It's already headed in that direction.

If Harapan – what’s left of that sorry carcass – allows Mahathir to lead it into elections and/or to be reinstalled prime minister for the third time, the biggest loser will be the coalition but above all Malaysia.

The Terrifying Physics Of How Wildfires Spread So Fast

There is no earthly reason to trust Mahathir (or Mukhriz) to run the country if you consider all their innings as “rulers”. In fact, Mahathir was already hinting of pulling his Bersatu out of Harapan. Muhyiddin beat him to it. Outplayed Mahathir. Pulled the rug from right under his big nose. It was, as far as I am concerned, a deserved slap to Mahathir's face.


But the loser was still Malaysia.

Mahathir and Muhyiddin sold out Malaysians before. So did Harapan and PN is doing the same now.

Since Anwar Ibrahim is hopelessly weak, and since he does not enjoy popular Malay support, he will defer – again, stupidly – to letting Mahathir lead the fundamentally broken and factional infighting-ridden Harapan.


Worse, Harapan isn’t ready for a snap poll. It’ll be hammered by the Malay vote.

Whatever happens – whichever regime comes to power – it won't last. Because it’ll have almost no legitimacy. Too much water under the bridge.

If it does last, it’ll be on the back of worse-type authoritarianism yet.


MANJIT BHATIA reads economics and international politics at New Hampshire in the US



12 comments:

  1. KT got his priorities wrong.....(or is it right?) ha ha ha...

    Instead of attacking Takiyuddin then present Law minister for silencing parliamentary democracy, and Khairy the Science and Technology Minister for not proposing the use of technology, KT instead attacks the FORMER Law minister Liew Vui Keong.....

    ReplyDelete
  2. So Manjit.....what is your solution?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ain't no solution la...

      Maybe this is the solution offered by Pay Pal founder...the refugees from cruel and unjust government ? hehehe

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_xCE2o2haw

      Delete
    2. no worry, we hv agong.

      Delete
    3. Wakakakakaka…

      DemoNcracy with monarchy characteristics!

      What an oxymoron principle.

      All humans r equal & yet there is a privileged class to act as a final arbitrator?

      Where's the equality so highly farted by these cocooned morons?

      Perhaps, equality is only the front. Hiding behind that demoNcratic chants is elitist controllism - a twisted form of oligarchy!

      Free to choose an elite to control one's, or nation's, livelihood & future direction!

      Ain't this the form of government that the ancient Chinese have been practicing for eons & finally discarded?

      "no worry, we hv agong."

      Ya-loh, after that many rounds of Jack Danial with yr dangdut pals, u finally buy in into their idea of ketuanan narrative.

      W/O their useless & bloodsucking blue bloods, they r NOTHING.

      Not as a race!

      Not as a claimant to Golden Chersonese that they robbed from the orange asal!

      Not as a true Muslim that deviating into zombieicism!

      Delete
    4. lifetime, no need people approval, make decision using pencil paper, muted anyone that disagree. sound familiar?

      Delete
    5. Sound familiar indeed, in yr kind of demoNcracy!

      What's more do u want to hint, mfer?

      Delete
    6. democracy leader no lifetime, got people mandate, can vote, got press freedom, i hint u shd kiss our backdoor pm ass like kt did.

      Delete
    7. Is that how u give yr f*cked advice from yr in-person experience?

      How many time I have told u off to keep yr perverted habit to yrself?

      Now, must tambah, demoNcracy ideas to yr petrified skull!

      Delete
  3. Manjit's knickers is also in a knot; his so called "solution", ie an election is only possible if parliament convenes and votes no confidence in Muhyiddin. That means supporting Toonsie's motion.

    Supporting Toonsie's motion is not the same as supporting Toonsie. Many (if not most) of the PH MPs want Muhyiddin out.

    Unless Manjit is dreaming that Muhyiddin (or the Agong) will dissolve Parliament voluntarily in the next couple of months....he needs more time to go shopping for more MPs.

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  4. What we need back in power is Jibby, ya...

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  5. As corrupt as our government,whether it is PN or PH,it will never end as what will happen to rapist Donald Trump.If Donald Trump wins re-election he will escape indictment for his past crimes.As the statute of limitations of five years will expire when he finishes his second term.But if he loses,he will be arrested the minute he is out of the WH gates.Many people will be following Donald Trump to wearing orange jumpers.Good luck to the rapist Donald J Trump and his adult children.

    ReplyDelete