By Lim Kit Siang
IS the Shah Alam High Court decision to quash a preventive detention order, signed last year by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who was also acting as Home Minister at the time using the “glamour name” Muhyiddin Mohd Yassin rather than his Government gazetted name, Mahiaddin Md Yasin an example of kakistocracy at its worst?
Muhyiddin was the Johor Mentri Besar from 1986-1995, Cabinet Minister from 1995 to 2009 helming various ministries from Youth and Sports, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs, Agriculture and Agro-based Industries as well as International Trade and Industry.
He was Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister in 2009 until he was sacked from the Cabinet in July 2015 for questioning the then Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s handling of the 1MDB scandal.
After the 14th General Election on May 9, 2018 , Muhyiddin was appointed Home Minister and became Prime Minister on March 1, 2020 after the infamous “Sheraton Move”, which toppled the Pakatan Harapan Government after 22 months.
So now, should we look back at all the Government orders signed by Muhyiddin in his nine years as Johore Menteri Besar, 22 years as Cabinet Minister and 13 months as “backdoor” Prime Minister and reviewed as to whether they are illegal because he had used his glamour name of Muhyiddin instead of his real name, Mahiaddin?
Which is worse – kleptocracy and kakistocracy? Or are both to be rejected in Malaysia?
This will be one of the decisions Malaysians will have to make in the 15th general election. – April 3, 2021.
Lim Kit Siang is the MP for Iskandar Puteri.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
