PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob is merely a victim of the larger economic and political forces at play – much like Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, the last monarch of France, said Penang deputy chief minister II Dr P. Ramasamy.
According to the Perai assemblyperson Bonaparte was able to last in his position for a while not because he was an able or clever leader but because he sought to represent – or gave the impression of representation – to all segments of the society.
“He was a hero to the peasants, the workers, the petty bourgeois, the landed class and the aristocrats. But in an actual sense, he became a victim or pawn of the growing capitalist class in France,” Ramasamy explained in a statement today.
“Comparing Ismail Sabri to Bonaparte might not be fair given the vast gap in history but the fact that Bonaparte sought to represent all sections of society bordered on naivety and foolishness.”
Ramasamy went on to insist that UMNO’s nomination of Ismail Sabri as the prime minister candidate for the 15th general election (GE15) is merely a “game plan” to entice him to call for an early general election.
“What happens after the general election is anybody’s guess,” he remarked.
Undeserving of much credit
While Ismail Sabri has not been controversial as the prime minister, Ramasamy noted that the UMNO vice president hardly deserves much credit for keeping the country “just going for its sake”.
“Even the management of the COVID-19 pandemic should be credited to the availability of the vaccines rather than the prime minister,” he justified.
Ramasamy further pointed out that the Opposition’s memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Ismail Sabri’s government was simply to keep the corrupt UMNO leaders from seizing power.
“For just doing ordinary things, Ismail Sabri has earned praise. The fact that he lasted in the post until today speaks not about his uniting abilities but rather the deep and insurmountable divisions within and without,” he said.
Following Barisan Nasional’s victories in the recent Melaka, Sarawak and Johor state polls, several influential ranks within UMNO – including party president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi – had reiterated calls for the next general election to be held early.
Previously Pakatan Harapan (PH) has agreed that Parliament will not be dissolved before July 31, 2022 to ensure political stability in the country to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. – April 19, 2022
