By Joe Fernandez
DEPUTY Prime Minister Ismail Sabri of ‘turtle eggs’ fame in Sabah may be Prime Minister Tan Sri Mahiaddin Yassin’s ‘teaser’ as he ‘thinks the unthinkable’ for the way forward until the next general election (GE15) in 2023.
The Prime Minister clearly needs stronger Government as Parliament reconvenes on July 26, and that strength probably cannot come from within the present administration even if Mahiaddin reshuffles the Cabinet.
The Opposition in the Cabinet isn’t a new idea even if there is no hung Parliament.
It has been practised in other countries, including Fiji, a Commonwealth member state which has a troubled past in forming governments. Lawmakers were even imprisoned in Parliament for weeks during a stand-off in Fiji.
Mahiaddin can perhaps include only nine lawmakers from the Opposition in Cabinet, some probably as Deputy Ministers. Already, the Cabinet has 32 full ministers. It’s unlikely that any incumbent can be dropped without risking further instability.
There’s no reason why Mahiaddin cannot include lawmakers from Opposition parties in the Cabinet without forming a national unity government or a new super coalition.
PKR (35 MP), DAP (42 MP) and Amanah (11 MP) figure immediately in the list. Others include Pejuang (4 MP) and MUDA (2 MP including an Independent), both breakaways from Bersatu (31 MP) which holds the PM’s post.
Hindraf Makkal Sakthi, an non-governmental organisation (NGO) which holds a Senate seat, is linked to the newly-formed Indian-based Malaysian Advancement Party (MAP).
In Sabah, Parti Warisan Sabah has eight MPs and UPKO one MP. Warisan lost the Sabah government in a snap territorial election on Sept 26 last year.
In Sarawak, there’s Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) with two MPs in Parliament.
UMNO’s Supreme Council demanded on July 7 that Mahiaddin be replaced by an interim Prime Minister. This is easier said than done, and with good reasons.
The deputy prime minister (DPM) appointment on July 7 may have separated most of the 38 UMNO MPs (including two Independents) from the party’s Supreme Council. MIC (1 MP) and MCA (2 MP), both in the Cabinet, back the new DPM.
The UMNO Supreme Council meet on July 7 did not mention the DPM or reiterate the oft-stated stand that the party’s MPs should withdraw from Government by Aug 1 when the Emergency Proclamation expires, unless extended by the Agong.
Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob was not recommended by the UMNO Supreme Council for the DPM post.
UMNO president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi Zahid Hamidi would have liked the post but the Supreme Council could not recommend him.
Mahiaddin did not consider Zahid as the latter faces charges in court. The PM reportedly toyed briefly with Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein Onn as DPM. However, Zahid would not allow the Supreme Council to recommend the Foreign Minister.
In UMNO’s view, the Prime Minister has too many failings and this includes runaway figures on the virus, too many suicides in the wake of the pandemic and an economy battered as never before.
The party will not back Opposition leader and PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as interim Prime Minister or support any government which includes DAP. – July 8, 2021.
Joe Fernandez is a long-time Borneo watcher and a regular FocusM contributor.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
