Opposition Being Fooled & Trapped Again – Pakatan Harapan Should Realize UMNO Is Equally Eager For Reforms
Pro-Anwar supporters or anti-Mahathir critics have been chanting mantras for months since March 2020 (the day Mahathir abruptly resigned, leading to the collapse of Pakatan Harapan government) that they cannot trust the two-term premier Mahathir. After being used and played, they argue that the PM-in-waiting Anwar should avoid the cunning old man with a 10-foot pole.
But how many times has UMNO president Zahid Hamidi played and fooled PKR president Anwar Ibrahim? Why don’t Anwar supporters advise the PM-in-waiting to avoid the UMNO crook with a 10-foot pole too? From overthrowing Perak Chief Minister Ahmad Faizal Azumu to toppling Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, UMNO has repeatedly used the Opposition to achieve its political goals.
Today, UMNO vice president Ismail Sabri, infamous for savouring turtle eggs, has become the 9th Prime Minister – something unimaginable just months ago. Had Zahid Hamidi not tainted with 87 charges related to money laundering and corruption, criminal breach of trust (CBT), the UMNO gangster would have become the prime minister, not Ismail Sabri.
Unless there is a secret cooperation to work strategically in the next 15th General Election to wipe out a common enemy – Muhyiddin’s Bersatu – it appears Opposition Pakatan Harapan has decided to bend over to be screwed by UMNO again, agreeing to sign an MOU (memorandum of understanding) with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri tomorrow (Sept 13).
While it is interesting to see the details of the MOU, the basis of the agreement would be reforms, including a 10-year term limit for the prime minister post, anti-party-hopping laws, and the inclusion of the opposition in the National Recovery Council. In exchange, Pakatan Harapan’s powerful bloc of 88 votes in Parliament would “not give trouble” to the fragile Perikatan Nasional 2.0 administration.
The fact that it is just a MOU, an understanding meant to be broken, and not a confidence and supply agreement (CSA), suggests that distrust and mistrust have ballooned since the nomination of “fried rice” crooked Ahmad Maslan as deputy House Speaker and the proposal to make the world’s biggest crook – former PM Najib Razak – as an economic adviser.
Yes, United Malays National Organization (UMNO) is trying again to play Pakatan Harapan, who in turn tries very hard not to look like it is being played. The writing is on the wall that UMNO is as untrustworthy as Bersatu in offering the so-called reforms. Hence, the Opposition should stop insulting people’s intelligence with half-baked justifications.
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng argues that the Opposition cannot turn a blind eye to the people’s sufferings amid the Covid-19 pandemic and resolving them must take priority. Exactly what does Coronavirus got to do with reforms? Would the pandemic suddenly go away if Pakatan Harapan supports Perikatan Nasional 2.0, who had stolen the government?
When Ismail Sabri mooted bipartisan consensus after he was sworn in as the 9th Prime Minister, the Opposition was overjoyed, only to see the turtle-egg man unveiled a Cabinet that was a carbon-copy of the previous failed administration of Muhyiddin. It has created a perception that it was the Opposition’s endorsement that had emboldened Sabri to bring back the same incompetent Cabinet.
When the premier floated the idea of including Opposition in the National Recovery Council, they were again excited, only to see traitor Muhyiddin appointed as its chairman. Now that Sabri administration is luring the Opposition with reforms again, they are again delighted and eager to sign on the dotted-line. What if crooked Najib Razak appointed as an economic adviser thereafter?
How could Pakatan Harapan even consider being part of a failed team under Muhyiddin in the National Recovery Council? If Muhyiddin could not even fix the problem during his 17-month administration, what make you think he could solve it in 100 days? With Najib as an economic adviser and Maslan as Deputy Speaker, will the Opposition still support lame duck PM Ismail?
Let’s assume the vaccination programme could automatically solve the pandemic and economic problems, which it can’t, does Pakatan think they would be able to claim – or even share – the credit? Has Pakatan Harapan coalition, comprising PKR, DAP, Amanah and newly joined UPKO, considered the fact that they would get the blame rather than the credit, if things go south?
Worse, Opposition de-facto leader Anwar Ibrahim would be accused of trying to use the cooperation with the corrupt government to avoid being charged with sexual assault brought by his former research assistant Muhammed Yusoff Rawther. DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, meanwhile, would be suspected of trying to get away with corruption charges.
In reality, the current Perikatan Nasional 2.0 government do not need an MOU, let alone a CSA, to push for any transformation or reform initiative – if the Ismail administration is sincere. They just need to table those reforms in Parliament, and Pakatan Harapan will gladly support them simply because they will invite voters’ rejection for rejecting good reforms.
Therefore, it does not make sense for the opposition to be held hostage by the government in order to strengthen the so-called parliamentary institutions. Under the pretext of political stability, which Pakatan Harapan trumpets, will they close one eye and support the fragile government blindly if some racist and extreme policies are to be introduced as well?
Actually, the government, especially UMNO, is as eager as the opposition to push for reforms. After Najib-led Barisan Nasional stunningly lost power in the 2018 General Election, the first defeat in 61 years since independence in 1957, they felt for the first time how unfair the system had treated the opposition and how broken the system was, thanks to 22-year-rule under Mahathirism.
UMNO should still remember how their Barisan coalition won 79 seats, only to see it reduced to 54 seats after its allies in Sarawak abandoned it and become friendly with the opposition-turn-ruling-government Pakatan. The United Malays National Organisation was further weakened to just 38 seats when more than a dozen of its own MPs defected and joined Bersatu.
Had there been an anti-hopping law in the first place, at least UMNO would not be humiliated with mass defections. It was already bad that it had lost the federal government. But to lose all the state governments (except Pahang) due to frogs jumping ship was incredibly insulting. Even though it is in the driver seat now, what is the guarantee that the history will not repeat itself?
Bersatu president Muhyiddin, humiliated and frustrated for being forced to resign, making him the shortest-serving prime minister in the history of the country, has sworn to return to power. Two days ago, the despicable traitor announced that he will lead his Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia and Perikatan Nasional to make a comeback and lead the country again.
Bersatu, which had won only 13 seats in the 2018 election, has seen its party ballooned to 31 MPs as a result of traitors jumping from both UMNO and PKR. However, with UMNO’s pledge to wipe out the rival party in the next poll, Muhyiddin is equally desperate for an anti-hopping law. Even if Bersatu is lucky enough not to be annihilated, the party will most likely not win back its 13 seats.
Like it or not, Bersatu won 13 seats largely due to support from Pakatan Harapan, which it then betrayed in March 2020 when Muhyiddin plotted with enemies – UMNO and PAS – to overthrow the democratically elected government. Without UMNO’s grassroots and machinery, it could only depend on Islamist party PAS. But there’s no guarantee PAS will still partner with Bersatu.
With the increasing possibility that the next nationwide election will see a three-corner contests, the chances are high that the current political landscape – no single party will have enough votes to form a government – will remain. To make matters worse, Malay-centric political parties – UMNO, Bersatu and PAS – will be fighting for the same Malay vote bank.
The only reason Bersatu has not seen its MPs defecting to other parties is because it has chosen to cling to power by hook or by crook, even to the extent of working with crooks like Zahid Hamidi and Najib Razak again even after being backstabbed and betrayed last month. All Bersatu MPs are being fed and bribed with ministers, deputy ministers and chairmanship.
If UMNO fails to exterminate Bersatu but only manage to reduce its seats, which is absolutely possible because there are still tons of people who wanted to vote for Muhyiddin because they hate Zahid and Najib more, Muhyiddin would certainly hope that anti-hopping law is in place to ensure his party will not suffer the same fate of mass defections.
Thus, everyone actually wanted to see the anti-hopping law introduced because the political landscape has changed since 2018. With endless permutation in power sharing, PKR, UMNO, DAP and UPKO could return to power, the same way UMNO and PAS could return to opposition, while Bersatu could either be terminated, return to power or taste the life as opposition for the first time.
So, the burning question – why must Pakatan give away its 88 votes in exchange for something that its rivals also wanted? More importantly, if the details of the MOU are nothing but rhetoric without substance, the already weak and dumb Pakatan Harapan leadership will be seen as legitimizing and recognizing a government that was originally formed through the backdoor. Does Ismail Sabri still need to prove his legitimacy in Parliament?
But how many times has UMNO president Zahid Hamidi played and fooled PKR president Anwar Ibrahim? Why don’t Anwar supporters advise the PM-in-waiting to avoid the UMNO crook with a 10-foot pole too? From overthrowing Perak Chief Minister Ahmad Faizal Azumu to toppling Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, UMNO has repeatedly used the Opposition to achieve its political goals.
Today, UMNO vice president Ismail Sabri, infamous for savouring turtle eggs, has become the 9th Prime Minister – something unimaginable just months ago. Had Zahid Hamidi not tainted with 87 charges related to money laundering and corruption, criminal breach of trust (CBT), the UMNO gangster would have become the prime minister, not Ismail Sabri.
Unless there is a secret cooperation to work strategically in the next 15th General Election to wipe out a common enemy – Muhyiddin’s Bersatu – it appears Opposition Pakatan Harapan has decided to bend over to be screwed by UMNO again, agreeing to sign an MOU (memorandum of understanding) with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri tomorrow (Sept 13).
While it is interesting to see the details of the MOU, the basis of the agreement would be reforms, including a 10-year term limit for the prime minister post, anti-party-hopping laws, and the inclusion of the opposition in the National Recovery Council. In exchange, Pakatan Harapan’s powerful bloc of 88 votes in Parliament would “not give trouble” to the fragile Perikatan Nasional 2.0 administration.
The fact that it is just a MOU, an understanding meant to be broken, and not a confidence and supply agreement (CSA), suggests that distrust and mistrust have ballooned since the nomination of “fried rice” crooked Ahmad Maslan as deputy House Speaker and the proposal to make the world’s biggest crook – former PM Najib Razak – as an economic adviser.
Yes, United Malays National Organization (UMNO) is trying again to play Pakatan Harapan, who in turn tries very hard not to look like it is being played. The writing is on the wall that UMNO is as untrustworthy as Bersatu in offering the so-called reforms. Hence, the Opposition should stop insulting people’s intelligence with half-baked justifications.
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng argues that the Opposition cannot turn a blind eye to the people’s sufferings amid the Covid-19 pandemic and resolving them must take priority. Exactly what does Coronavirus got to do with reforms? Would the pandemic suddenly go away if Pakatan Harapan supports Perikatan Nasional 2.0, who had stolen the government?
When Ismail Sabri mooted bipartisan consensus after he was sworn in as the 9th Prime Minister, the Opposition was overjoyed, only to see the turtle-egg man unveiled a Cabinet that was a carbon-copy of the previous failed administration of Muhyiddin. It has created a perception that it was the Opposition’s endorsement that had emboldened Sabri to bring back the same incompetent Cabinet.
When the premier floated the idea of including Opposition in the National Recovery Council, they were again excited, only to see traitor Muhyiddin appointed as its chairman. Now that Sabri administration is luring the Opposition with reforms again, they are again delighted and eager to sign on the dotted-line. What if crooked Najib Razak appointed as an economic adviser thereafter?
How could Pakatan Harapan even consider being part of a failed team under Muhyiddin in the National Recovery Council? If Muhyiddin could not even fix the problem during his 17-month administration, what make you think he could solve it in 100 days? With Najib as an economic adviser and Maslan as Deputy Speaker, will the Opposition still support lame duck PM Ismail?
Let’s assume the vaccination programme could automatically solve the pandemic and economic problems, which it can’t, does Pakatan think they would be able to claim – or even share – the credit? Has Pakatan Harapan coalition, comprising PKR, DAP, Amanah and newly joined UPKO, considered the fact that they would get the blame rather than the credit, if things go south?
Worse, Opposition de-facto leader Anwar Ibrahim would be accused of trying to use the cooperation with the corrupt government to avoid being charged with sexual assault brought by his former research assistant Muhammed Yusoff Rawther. DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, meanwhile, would be suspected of trying to get away with corruption charges.
In reality, the current Perikatan Nasional 2.0 government do not need an MOU, let alone a CSA, to push for any transformation or reform initiative – if the Ismail administration is sincere. They just need to table those reforms in Parliament, and Pakatan Harapan will gladly support them simply because they will invite voters’ rejection for rejecting good reforms.
Therefore, it does not make sense for the opposition to be held hostage by the government in order to strengthen the so-called parliamentary institutions. Under the pretext of political stability, which Pakatan Harapan trumpets, will they close one eye and support the fragile government blindly if some racist and extreme policies are to be introduced as well?
Actually, the government, especially UMNO, is as eager as the opposition to push for reforms. After Najib-led Barisan Nasional stunningly lost power in the 2018 General Election, the first defeat in 61 years since independence in 1957, they felt for the first time how unfair the system had treated the opposition and how broken the system was, thanks to 22-year-rule under Mahathirism.
UMNO should still remember how their Barisan coalition won 79 seats, only to see it reduced to 54 seats after its allies in Sarawak abandoned it and become friendly with the opposition-turn-ruling-government Pakatan. The United Malays National Organisation was further weakened to just 38 seats when more than a dozen of its own MPs defected and joined Bersatu.
Had there been an anti-hopping law in the first place, at least UMNO would not be humiliated with mass defections. It was already bad that it had lost the federal government. But to lose all the state governments (except Pahang) due to frogs jumping ship was incredibly insulting. Even though it is in the driver seat now, what is the guarantee that the history will not repeat itself?
Bersatu president Muhyiddin, humiliated and frustrated for being forced to resign, making him the shortest-serving prime minister in the history of the country, has sworn to return to power. Two days ago, the despicable traitor announced that he will lead his Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia and Perikatan Nasional to make a comeback and lead the country again.
Bersatu, which had won only 13 seats in the 2018 election, has seen its party ballooned to 31 MPs as a result of traitors jumping from both UMNO and PKR. However, with UMNO’s pledge to wipe out the rival party in the next poll, Muhyiddin is equally desperate for an anti-hopping law. Even if Bersatu is lucky enough not to be annihilated, the party will most likely not win back its 13 seats.
Like it or not, Bersatu won 13 seats largely due to support from Pakatan Harapan, which it then betrayed in March 2020 when Muhyiddin plotted with enemies – UMNO and PAS – to overthrow the democratically elected government. Without UMNO’s grassroots and machinery, it could only depend on Islamist party PAS. But there’s no guarantee PAS will still partner with Bersatu.
With the increasing possibility that the next nationwide election will see a three-corner contests, the chances are high that the current political landscape – no single party will have enough votes to form a government – will remain. To make matters worse, Malay-centric political parties – UMNO, Bersatu and PAS – will be fighting for the same Malay vote bank.
The only reason Bersatu has not seen its MPs defecting to other parties is because it has chosen to cling to power by hook or by crook, even to the extent of working with crooks like Zahid Hamidi and Najib Razak again even after being backstabbed and betrayed last month. All Bersatu MPs are being fed and bribed with ministers, deputy ministers and chairmanship.
If UMNO fails to exterminate Bersatu but only manage to reduce its seats, which is absolutely possible because there are still tons of people who wanted to vote for Muhyiddin because they hate Zahid and Najib more, Muhyiddin would certainly hope that anti-hopping law is in place to ensure his party will not suffer the same fate of mass defections.
Thus, everyone actually wanted to see the anti-hopping law introduced because the political landscape has changed since 2018. With endless permutation in power sharing, PKR, UMNO, DAP and UPKO could return to power, the same way UMNO and PAS could return to opposition, while Bersatu could either be terminated, return to power or taste the life as opposition for the first time.
So, the burning question – why must Pakatan give away its 88 votes in exchange for something that its rivals also wanted? More importantly, if the details of the MOU are nothing but rhetoric without substance, the already weak and dumb Pakatan Harapan leadership will be seen as legitimizing and recognizing a government that was originally formed through the backdoor. Does Ismail Sabri still need to prove his legitimacy in Parliament?
Anwar and Lim Guan Eng correctly made the decision to stop the Parliamentary majority /lack of majority game for now.
ReplyDeleteWe've been down this road several times before. Stop playing the Parliament numbers games.
Focus on fighting the Pandemic and the related Economic Crisis.