MIRI, Aug 21 ― Politics should be set aside and the appointment of Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob as prime minister by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong must be respected.
SUPP secretary-general Datuk Sebastian Ting said everyone across the political divide should rally and support the King’s decision and Rulers Conference’s stand whereby the MP who commands majority support is appointed PM according to the constitution.
Ismail Sabri should be given the opportunity to lead Malaysia out of Covid-19 pandemic and economic hardship, he added.
“Forget politics and everyone should come together and go down to their constituencies to help the people who are suffering. The top priority should be their welfare and getting the Malaysian economy back on track,” he said.
He added this should be the way forward for the country and the 9th prime minister should be given a chance to serve the country and its people. The country is sick and tired of the power struggle which has seen three prime ministers and government since 2018.
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong has already received statutory declarations from 114 PN MPs supporting Ismail but the Opposition and former Bar Council chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan disputed it, saying it was void as it was conditional support declared.
Pakatan Harapan (PH) led by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad dethroned the entrenched BN coalition in Putrajaya in the last general election but the government collapsed 22 months later after a leadership struggle in 2020.
Supporters of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim pushed Dr Mahathir to hand over the reins as per arrangement by their respective parties but the later resigned in February that year. The coalition collapsed after Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and disgruntled PKR MPs walked out to join Umno and other allies to form the next government the following month.
Muhyiddin was appointed 8th prime minister but his PN government collapsed after he was forced to resign on August 16 after 17 months after 15 Umno MPs retracted their support.
His attempt to reach out to PH for a unity government was rejected by Umno and the Opposition.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri was given the conditional nod by PN and was yesterday sworn in as the new prime minister as PH leader Datuk Seri Anwar failed to prove that he has the majority support.
Ting said these internal fighting by the two previous governments has exacted a heavy price on foreign direct investments and the welfare of the people, which is compounded by Covid-19 pandemic.
Excessive internal politicking by political parties has proven to be the downfall two past governments and this should be avoided as Malaysia get its third government in over three years. ― Borneo Post
