By Bernie Yeo
THE declaration of a state of Emergency in Malaysia in January 2021 came hot on the heels of the spike in COVID-19 cases. The suspension of the parliament meant that no elections would be held during the period, and Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin will remain in power despite appearing to lose his parliamentary majority.
But the declaration also offers a more valuable prize: time. More accurately, it gives Muhyiddin more time to ramp up his efforts to entice more MPs to join his Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition. Chief among his main targets is no doubt UMNO, despite UMNO president Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi’s reaffirmation that the party will not formally join PN.
Certain UMNO factions may beg to differ, however. After losing power for the first time in its history following Barisan Nasional’s (BN) defeat in the 14th general election (GE14), there were news that UMNO was split into several factions, each with their own beliefs and political agendas.
Who knows, if Muhyiddin plays his cards right he might even convince several of these factions to side with him!
Politicians are sometimes fickle-minded and flexible creatures who tend to go where the advantages and personal benefits are. As incumbent Prime Minister, Muhyiddin is more than capable of dishing out benefits as he sees fit.
Loyalty is heavily rewarded is what’s been hinted, and the influx of politicians appointed to lead government-linked companies (GLCs) since Muhyiddin came into power is clear evidence of this.
However, problems arise when these appointed chairmen of GLCs start feeling as though their roles are insubstantial. Their dissatisfaction has led to demands for bigger roles and more power, and this will be a tricky path to navigate for Muhyiddin as he tries to win them over to his side.
Time will tell, as Muhyiddin still has about five months left before the Emergency ends – or less, if the Emergency is lifted before August 1.
Furthermore, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s recent decree that Parliament could reconvene even during Emergency is a stark reminder that the clock is indeed ticking.
But then again, a lot can happen in five months…including the realignment of power in the country’s political structure. – Feb 27, 2021
