PRIME Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has admitted on national television that he no longer commands the confidence of a majority of MPs in Parliament, and this leaves him with two options to either resign or dissolve Parliament, said the Aliran executive committee.
“Without a majority, his position is no longer tenable, as he has lost any legitimacy. With the COVID-19 pandemic, the dissolution of Parliament is not feasible, especially after what happened at the Sabah state election last year,” it said in a statement today.
According to the committee, Muhyiddin is no longer in any position to offer ‘carrots’ to lure Opposition MPs to his side and cling on to power.
“The reforms he proposed during the telecast yesterday sound promising. Yet, the recent hauling-up of a string of activists and critics does not inspire confidence that his administration is committed to democratic norms and reforms.”
The Aliran executive committee further opined that Muhyiddin has had plenty of time in the past to work out a confidence and supply agreement with other MPs.
“It’s too late now. His calling for a coming together of political parties, supposedly for the interest of the nation, sounds less like an olive branch and more like a desperate clutching at straws.
“It should be left to a new government to formulate a broad-based reform plan that goes much, much deeper than what Muhyiddin proposed.”
According to the committee, the Opposition parties must get their act together and offer progressive and workable alternatives which can ease the people’s suffering and take the country forward.
“It is ironic and presumptuous of Muhyiddin to claim that a new prime minister cannot be appointed as no one else has majority support now – for he himself was appointed without having his support proven in Parliament.
“It is not for him now to decide who is likely or not to command majority support among MPs. He should just step down with whatever honour and dignity he has left in line with constitutional requirements.” – Aug 14, 2021
