FAILURE of capitalising within that short time frame when the window of opportunity is open or to strike when the iron is hot has proven futile for the Dubai Move conspiracy in its quest to overthrow the unity government.
Likening the Dubai Move to the purported Sept 16, 2008 ‘coup’ led by the then Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to topple the Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s administration, fugitive blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin (RPK) blamed poor coordination for the failure of both coups.
Despite having ample financing of RM600 mil from the now incarcerated businessman Datuk Soh Chee Wen (sentenced to 36 years imprisonment in Singapore*), RPK said the Sept 16, 2008 coup fell though due to indecisiveness as to who among the 30 MPs – 15 each from the peninsula and Sabah/Sarawak – should take the lead when they should have hopped one-shot or simultaneously.
“Anwar did not lie but the entire (Sept 16, 2008) coup attempt did happen but while he had the numbers, he only managed to open the gate but failed to close it,” recalled the opposition-slant mercenary blogger in his latest video clip.
“The Sept 16, 2008 coup faltered due to hesitation on who shall be the mouse that bells the cat in which nobody volunteered to take the lead.”
Fast forward to recent times, RPK deduced that while the opposition managed to secure 120 statutory declarations (SDs) as requested by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (YDPA), “they failed to finalise the last bit which is their choice of PMXI thus giving away the impression that they were seemingly indecisive in the eyes of the Agong”.
“The window for the Dubai Move which I prefer to term as ‘Democracy Move’ was there but got stuck at the final hurdle which was to determine the PM candidate,” lamented the self-exiled blogger who has made Manchester, UK his residence since 2009.
“The problem lies with execution … Now all the detractors are having cold feet for it is common for politicians to carry baggage and now everyone fear being subject to the actively on-going graft-related investigation by the MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission).
“Feeling intimidated, the excitement has fizzled out with the so-called Democracy Move is now doomed … the window that was temporarily opened has shut and there’s no point striking as the iron is now cold.”
Nevertheless, RPK reiterated that the Dubai Move plot to change the government of the day is legally-binding as it was carried out within the ambit of the law and Federal Constitution.
“Democracy as opposed to autocracy (absolute power) is about majority rule or the will of majority and there’s nothing criminal about it. Leaders must accept the fact that their reign is only temporary, can be challenged or that their government can be toppled at any time”.
Describing it as “wasted opportunity”, he contended that Perikatan Nasional (PN) has eventually paid the price for the very reason that “when the interests are too diverse, the chances of failure are high”.
“Anwar’s unity government comprised 21 parties from four major coalitions (yet the opposition failed to take advantage of such weakness) … As the ultimate objective is not to form a new government for the sake of the nation or the rakyat but for personal interest and political party, plotting and ensuring the success of a coup can be very difficult,” reckoned RPK.
“With the window of opportunity having closed, the Dubai Move will now go down in history as one of the many failed coups like Anwar’s very own Sept 16, 2008’s attempt.” – Jan 21, 2024
* Soh was sentenced to jail for masterminding Singapore’s biggest case of stock market manipulation that wiped out nearly SS$8 bil in market value in October 2013.
