Raggie Jessy Rithaudeen
The odds are not stacked against him. Yes, I am referring to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the 94-year old maverick known to call a s-p-a-d-e “s-e-d-a-p” in all manner of sarcasm.
Whatever the rumor, whoever is planning to hop over where, to date, the impression given is that the ruling Perikatan Nasional has the support of 113 Members of Parliament.
I dispute this.
My official position is that “we don’t really know where the axis of majority truly tilts, but we do have a clue.”
I’m not alone.
Several Sarawak leaders and analysts have voiced the same level of skepticism following the surprise outburst by Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) member Datuk Masir Kujat.
During the “no-debate, no-business” one day parliament sitting on the 18th of May 2020, Kujat claimed he found himself sitting in the opposition block against his will.
“When I arrived at the Dewan Rakyat, a seat had been fixed for me together with the Perikatan Nasional (PN) backbenchers in the Dewan Rakyat. As the seat had already been fixed, I had no choice but to sit at my assigned place.”
“I wish to clarify that I am a member of the Presidential Council of Parti Sarawak Bersatu and PSB is an opposition party at both Federal and State levels,” he said in a statement.
“I should not have been arranged by the Speaker to be seated with PN backbenchers as PSB does not support PN,” he said.
PSB occupies two parliamentary seats. Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), the third-largest bloc in the Dewan Rakyat, occupies 18.
That’s 20 parliamentary seats from Sarawak alone.
On the 7thof March 2020, GPS officially decided to join the Federal Government on the condition that the administration was not seen to be a component of Perikatan Nasional, merely an affiliate member.
“This is because we are a separate political entity from PN (Perikatan Nasional) and we are not in PN.
“We have discussed this with the Prime Minister and he has agreed to the PN plus GPS formula,” GPS president Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg told reporters.
However, on the 18thof May 2020, GPS secretary-general Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi confirmed that the grouping was in fact part of Perikatan Nasional (PN).
The news came as a surprise to several Members of Parliament from component parties within GPS itself.
One MP who spoke to TTF on condition of anonymity said the decision by the “top brass” to draft a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), Barisan Nasional (BN), Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star) and PAS was unilateral and without the consent of all Members of Parliament or even the leaderships of the various component parties.
For the record, GPS is made up of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu(PBB), Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP).
“PBB is a bully and does whatever it wants without proper consultation,” the MP said.
The biggest joke is that Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, PBB vice president, told media the same day that PN is currently a “loose coalition and not a political party.”
“We must understand that PN is not a registered political party but a loose coalition of political parties that are willing to work together and form the federal government.
“Yes, I agree that GPS is a member of that loose coalition,” he said.
The impression given was that GPS wanted Perikatan Nasional to know that “yes, we are with you, but only because it is expedient.”
Perhaps the message was also intended for the Mahathir camp by a slingshot. Perhaps it meant, “where is your proposal?”
As far as TTF is concerned, 10 GPS MPs, to say the least, have set their sights on a new solution as long as it does not involve the DAP in key government positions or Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as Prime Minister.
Over at PKR, 7 Members of Parliament are confirmed fence-sitters, ready to forge a new alliance with Mahathir in the event he assembles enough MPs from PPBM and UMNO.
PPBM currently has 9 to 10 MPs disillusioned with Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, while UMNO has a whole team disillusioned with Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
So, will be witnessing yet another “Sheraton Move” anytime soon?
I don’t really have the answer.
What I do know, is any attempt at passing any Bill or the 2021 Budget in parliament may fall flat on its face should the plan be to stage an “indirect vote of no-confidence” against Muhyiddin.
Under the circumstances, Muhyiddin will either have to advice the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to dissolve parliament or step down together with the rest of the federal cabinet.
Only time will tell if Perikatan Nasional can prevail.
NOTA: SAYA MEMBUAT PENGUMUMAN-PENGUMUMAN PENTING DARI MASA KE SEMASA EKSKLUSIF MENERUSI SALURAN TELEGRAM BERIKUT:
