Quit or sack 2 senior ministers to end emergency fiasco, Wong Chen tells PM
Subang MP Wong Chen says the opposition is willing to discuss cooperating with the PN government to contain the Covid-19 pandemic
PETALING JAYA: A PKR MP has called for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to either resign or sack two of his senior ministers, to officially close the “state of emergency crisis chapter”.
In a Facebook post today, Subang MP Wong Chen said there was persistent talk that Muhyiddin was being influenced by two particular senior ministers.
He claimed that in the history of Malaysian politics, this was the first time that the rulers had rejected a prime minister’s proposal.
“Either the prime minister resigns or he sacks the said two senior ministers for this audacious attempt to subvert democracy in Malaysia.
“That should be the appropriate closure to this ugly chapter of a manufactured emergency crisis. There must be consequences for such actions or our beloved country will continue to suffer the politics of impunity,” he said.
Following this, Wong Chen said, the opposition may discuss working with the Perikatan Nasional (PN) administration to contain the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as negotiate for reforms and the budget.
In a Facebook post today, Subang MP Wong Chen said there was persistent talk that Muhyiddin was being influenced by two particular senior ministers.
He claimed that in the history of Malaysian politics, this was the first time that the rulers had rejected a prime minister’s proposal.
“Either the prime minister resigns or he sacks the said two senior ministers for this audacious attempt to subvert democracy in Malaysia.
“That should be the appropriate closure to this ugly chapter of a manufactured emergency crisis. There must be consequences for such actions or our beloved country will continue to suffer the politics of impunity,” he said.
Following this, Wong Chen said, the opposition may discuss working with the Perikatan Nasional (PN) administration to contain the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as negotiate for reforms and the budget.
COMMENT | To reset the scene, Muhyiddin should remove Hamzah and Azmin
by Liew Chin Tong
by Liew Chin Tong
COMMENT | To reset the scene, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin should make Parliament the avenue for genuine cooperation, consultation and co-governing with the opposition for the greater good of the nation in time of Covid-19 crisis.
To smooth the process, it would be very helpful if Muhyiddin offers the heads of Hamzah Zainuddin and Azmin Ali.
In the last decade, the royal institution has made three very important interventions in favour of preserving parliamentary democracy.
First, in October 2015, the Council of Rulers showed its displeasure against the National Security Council Bill and the then-king decided not to assent to the bill. It was a clear indication that the rulers were not prepared to accept prime ministerial overreach in matters of national security.
Second, several Malay rulers played very important roles behind the scene to ensure the smooth post-election transition of power from BN to Pakatan Harapan on May 9 and 10, 2018.
Third, the historic decision yesterday by the rulers to reject the cabinet decision to impose emergency rule will be remembered by future governments as an indication not to attempt authoritarian overreach.
How can the nation move forward now?
The government should not fear Parliament and the government must not treat the opposition as the enemy of the state. With an equal treatment of opposition MPs, treating them as equals to backbenchers in terms of resources and access to provide policy inputs, with a Confidence and Supply Agreement in place, the Muhyiddin government has an opportunity to turn the crisis into the new birth of Malaysian parliamentary democracy.
To smooth the process, Muhyiddin should also consider offering the heads of Hamzah and Azmin, in exchange for the goodwill of all parties across the aisle to move forward in a bipartisan manner.
Since the half-day parliamentary session on May 18, I have been saying to friends and foes that Muhyiddin should stop relying on Hamzah as his chief political operator. Because Hamzah doesn’t understand the new political reality after the Umno hegemon-led one-party state was defeated in the May 2018 general election.
Hamzah is trying to re-create single-party dominance and rule, as though Muhyiddin possesses two-thirds majority in Parliament.
To smooth the process, it would be very helpful if Muhyiddin offers the heads of Hamzah Zainuddin and Azmin Ali.
In the last decade, the royal institution has made three very important interventions in favour of preserving parliamentary democracy.
First, in October 2015, the Council of Rulers showed its displeasure against the National Security Council Bill and the then-king decided not to assent to the bill. It was a clear indication that the rulers were not prepared to accept prime ministerial overreach in matters of national security.
Second, several Malay rulers played very important roles behind the scene to ensure the smooth post-election transition of power from BN to Pakatan Harapan on May 9 and 10, 2018.
Third, the historic decision yesterday by the rulers to reject the cabinet decision to impose emergency rule will be remembered by future governments as an indication not to attempt authoritarian overreach.
How can the nation move forward now?
The government should not fear Parliament and the government must not treat the opposition as the enemy of the state. With an equal treatment of opposition MPs, treating them as equals to backbenchers in terms of resources and access to provide policy inputs, with a Confidence and Supply Agreement in place, the Muhyiddin government has an opportunity to turn the crisis into the new birth of Malaysian parliamentary democracy.
To smooth the process, Muhyiddin should also consider offering the heads of Hamzah and Azmin, in exchange for the goodwill of all parties across the aisle to move forward in a bipartisan manner.
Since the half-day parliamentary session on May 18, I have been saying to friends and foes that Muhyiddin should stop relying on Hamzah as his chief political operator. Because Hamzah doesn’t understand the new political reality after the Umno hegemon-led one-party state was defeated in the May 2018 general election.
Hamzah is trying to re-create single-party dominance and rule, as though Muhyiddin possesses two-thirds majority in Parliament.
Between March and the May Parliament sitting, Hamzah (photo) was trying to buy MPs from the opposition. Very few would ever consider crossing over when the government’s majority is so slim.
No one is sure if the Muhyiddin government would linger on. It is foolish for him to assume that MPs would cross over. In over half a year since March, only the Lubok Antu MP crossed the floor.
Then, Hamzah ventured into Sabah. The end result was a pyrrhic victory. The Sabah move was totally unnecessary. It was like Napoleon and Hitler opening up a second front by venturing into Russia and suffering losses on both ends.
Hamzah pushed Umno to the edge and Muhyiddin had to deal with the fallout at the national level with Ahmad Zahid Hamidi attempting to quit the government. Muhyiddin’s only achievement – taming Covid-19 – was eclipsed as a consequence of the Sabah campaign.
The move to push for emergency rule is reportedly another of Hamzah’s ventures, with Azmin openly defending it. I heard about the idea of suspending Parliament two weeks before it was presented. I also read the statement by MIC president S Vigneswaran, who was probably asked to “test the waters” with the public. But I was still stunned when Muhyiddin went along with it and presented it to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
The lapse of judgment on the part of Muhyiddin is astonishing. It just felt like one wrong move after another since the beginning of the year, when he decided to ditch Harapan in favour of a “Malay government”.
Hamzah was also the architect of the failed coup in October 2019 (which sought to sack the DAP and Amanah from the Harapan government), plotting together with Azmin and Hishammuddin Hussein, the prime mover of the Sheraton coup, aided by Azmin.
For the Muhyiddin government to move forward, he needs to accept that he is not governing with a two-thirds majority and there is no more one-party state. The role of the prime minister is to build consensus among allies and to build goodwill with the opposition, especially during the Covid-19 crisis which requires bipartisanship.
Muhyiddin must commit to stop persecuting the opposition and accept that he is the prime minister for all Malaysians and not just for Bersatu, to the irk of even his ally Umno, not to mention the opposition.
To foster goodwill for bipartisanship, Muhyiddin should ask Hamzah and Azmin to resign to take responsibility for wrongly advising the king and also for creating the toxic political atmosphere that led to the cabinet decision of pushing for emergency rule.
With the departures of Hamzah and Azmin from the cabinet, cooperation among the governing PN coalition parties will improve, and a friendlier milieu for a genuine bipartisan working relationship with the opposition in time of Covid-19 crisis would be fostered.
No one is sure if the Muhyiddin government would linger on. It is foolish for him to assume that MPs would cross over. In over half a year since March, only the Lubok Antu MP crossed the floor.
Then, Hamzah ventured into Sabah. The end result was a pyrrhic victory. The Sabah move was totally unnecessary. It was like Napoleon and Hitler opening up a second front by venturing into Russia and suffering losses on both ends.
Hamzah pushed Umno to the edge and Muhyiddin had to deal with the fallout at the national level with Ahmad Zahid Hamidi attempting to quit the government. Muhyiddin’s only achievement – taming Covid-19 – was eclipsed as a consequence of the Sabah campaign.
The move to push for emergency rule is reportedly another of Hamzah’s ventures, with Azmin openly defending it. I heard about the idea of suspending Parliament two weeks before it was presented. I also read the statement by MIC president S Vigneswaran, who was probably asked to “test the waters” with the public. But I was still stunned when Muhyiddin went along with it and presented it to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
The lapse of judgment on the part of Muhyiddin is astonishing. It just felt like one wrong move after another since the beginning of the year, when he decided to ditch Harapan in favour of a “Malay government”.
Hamzah was also the architect of the failed coup in October 2019 (which sought to sack the DAP and Amanah from the Harapan government), plotting together with Azmin and Hishammuddin Hussein, the prime mover of the Sheraton coup, aided by Azmin.
For the Muhyiddin government to move forward, he needs to accept that he is not governing with a two-thirds majority and there is no more one-party state. The role of the prime minister is to build consensus among allies and to build goodwill with the opposition, especially during the Covid-19 crisis which requires bipartisanship.
Muhyiddin must commit to stop persecuting the opposition and accept that he is the prime minister for all Malaysians and not just for Bersatu, to the irk of even his ally Umno, not to mention the opposition.
To foster goodwill for bipartisanship, Muhyiddin should ask Hamzah and Azmin to resign to take responsibility for wrongly advising the king and also for creating the toxic political atmosphere that led to the cabinet decision of pushing for emergency rule.
With the departures of Hamzah and Azmin from the cabinet, cooperation among the governing PN coalition parties will improve, and a friendlier milieu for a genuine bipartisan working relationship with the opposition in time of Covid-19 crisis would be fostered.
***
kt notes:
Wakakaka, Chin Tong, Wong Chen and even UMNO pollies want those two mavericks' heads, namely, that of Hamzah Zainuddin and Azmin Ali.
Hamzah was a small-timer in UMNO but since he frogged over to join Atuk's PRIBUMI after GE14, what with Atuk's deliberate frog farm against Pakatan policy and amidst total deafening silence from the kuai-kuai Lim's, and subsequently stuck with Muhyiddin's PRIBUMI Mark II, he has been a trouble-maker in the political arena - that's the natural outcome of a 'little man' promoted beyond his competency and intellect.
** Another UMNO man (still is) to watch out for in the category of 'little man' given powers beyond his competency is Annuar Musa, who was suspended as Chairman of MARA for dodgy matters, after he was kowtim-ed by TMJ. MACC initially investigated him but decided not to press charges against him due to the allegations insufficient evidence.
Anyway, the second bloke whose head and butt is sorely desired is you-know-who, wakakaka.
But I doubt Muhyiddin will oblige considering he heads the government by a slim majority of 2 to 3. Much as Muhyiddin may even agree with Chin Tong, Wong Chen and UMNO stalwarts, that request is just too long a bow for a struggling politician to accept and implement.
Additional info:
Also from MKINI:
Mohd Puad Zarkashi has asked Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to step down following the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's rejection of his proposal to declare a state of emergency.
The Umno supreme council member also shed some light on what transpired at the prime minister's residence in Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur, last night.
According to Puad, it was an emotional meeting and certain Bersatu leaders purportedly pointed the finger at Minister of International Trade and Industry Azmin Ali and Home Minister Hamzah Zainuddin for the debacle.
No comments:
Post a Comment