By Prof P Ramasamy
LET us get one thing clear. The political drama that is unfolding is not going to benefit the rakyat.
Something serious is happening in Malaysia and it could have major repercussion on the ability of the Perikatan Nasional Government to contain COVID-19.
This is none other than the continuing tussle between Prime Minister Mahiaddin Yassin and the attempt by Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to unseat the Government.
The continuing drama has taken a new dimension with the recent appointments of the Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob as the deputy prime minister and Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein as a senior minister.
The fact that Mahiaddin could deliver this announcement from his hospital bed goes to indicate how serious the rift between Umno and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) is.
Being confined to hospital was no barrier to Mahiaddin to thwart the political games of Umno, or at least the faction headed by Zahid.
Of course, it is evident there is a group of Umno MPs who are not with Zahid, they would prefer to stick with Mahiaddin to have ready access to the sinews of the office.
Although the Umno supreme council as a whole might go along with Zahid, unity amongst Umno MPs and those holding positions in the present Government might be suspect.
In this sense, Umno’s decision to pull out of the Government and asking for the resignation of Mahiaddin might not have the desired effect.
As long as a sizeable Umno MPs, especially those holding positions in the Government are with Muhyiddin, the Government might not be toppled that easily.
What the former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad could not do during his second term in office, Muhyiddin has done it by splitting Umno.
In this regard, Mahiaddin is craftier and shrewder than Dr Mahathir, the man who is silently praying to make a comeback in Malaysian politics.
Astute Mahiaddin vs divided Umno
Although Umno could put out a front that it going all out to bring down Mahiaddin, in reality, the battle is between the two factions in the party, between those who support the premier and those aligned with Zahid.
In fact, there are already moves among certain Umno MPs to distant themselves from Zahid and move closer to Mahiaddin’s embrace.
Some of these MPs might not be happy with Zahid for his alleged rapprochement with PKR supremo Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to form the next Government.
In general, Bersatu has little standing in Malay politics. Without the lifeline thrown by Umno and PAS, the party might just wither away. Bersatu needs them badly.
PAS is another story altogether. It has sacrificed its religious principles to blindly support the Perikatan Government.
Worse, it has clearly betrayed its “friend”, Umno. The marriage of convenience to take on the earlier Pakatan Harapan Government failed miserably.
With the pandemic raging, the question is now whether Mahiadidn will have the strength to fight at two fronts.
If he cannot settle the political problem, he might not have any choice but to quit. If the pandemic shows no sign of abating, Mahiaddin might as well throw in the towel.
However, to date, The Government has done a poor job. If the pandemic shows no signs of retreat, then Umno might end up flogging a dead horse.
Whether Umno can take on Perikatan in general and Muhyiddin, in particular, might be checkmated by its own disunity.
Moreover, given the fact that some of these Umno leaders have been implicated in financial scandals leading to court cases, the leadership simply lacks the legitimacy to take on the Government.
As the pandemic is fiercely raging, let us find out how the political drama is going to be played out. One thing is for sure, the rakyat would not be its beneficiaries. – July 8, 2021.
Prof P Ramasamy is the Deputy Chief Minister of Penang and Perai state assemblyman.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Photo credit: Malaysiakini
