MAY 7 — Reboots solve 99 per cent of computer problems.
Unfortunately, I struggle to find the restart button for Malaysia’s political system. Or fend off the nauseating thought that Malaysia is that one per cent which nothing can solve, in the short term at least.
Which is I why believe, perhaps, quite reluctantly, we should deny the panic impulse to pull the plug and instead, let things carry on as is.
But why the fear now?
Rumours are swirling — when are they not? — about the fragility of the Muhyiddin Administration.
Consider the following: Pribumi Bersatu’s Mukhriz Mahathir’s overtures to Pakatan, Umno backbencher’s criticisms and Azmin Ali’s launch of Penggerak Komuniti Nasional; while PKR’s Anwar Ibrahim hankers for any parliamentary majority with him at the top of the pyramid, even when he’s busy chucking half his party into a bonfire; and then one has to concede things are awful.
Inside Perikatan Nasional (PN)
The two junior members are enjoying it best. PAS’ 18 seats and Gabungan Parti-parti Sarawak (GPS) with the extra one.
The Islamists’ MPs are either ministers, deputy ministers, or heads of GLCs. Their president is the special envoy to Saudi Arabia. The government overall is Muslim controlled without apologies, an easy sell to their base.
GPS finds itself back in federal government with fully fledged ministers, unprecedented legroom to express autonomy and to top it all, witness the daily annihilation of PKR Sarawak. They have a walkover state election pending as soon as Covid19 dissipates.
Here’s where the happy news ends for the coalition.
Pribumi Bersatu on paper is the coalition’s largest component but -- when examined -- shrinks. Just factor the faction openly opposed to Muhyiddin’s leadership led by his deputy Mukhriz and supported by party adviser — and father — Mahathir Mohamad; and the impersonating 11 ex-PKR MPs who’ve just launched Penggerak Komuniti Nasional (PKN).
The question is stark; if post Covid-19 Muhyiddin is defeated by M&M (Mahathir and Mukhriz), how does he stay on as PM?
Azmin’s bleeding support for Pribumi Bersatu through PKN — which has sprinted ahead with state appointments — or is he in actual fact preparing a lifeboat for Muhyiddin?
Which leads to talk of a super party.
The theoretical construct made of PKN now with more PKR runaways, Pribumi Bersatu want-aways and Hishammuddin Hussein’s Umno rebels.
The magic wand to sever the umbilical cord with Mahathir, Anwar, ex-PM Najib Razak and Umno president Zahid Hamidi in a single wave.
The juggernaut party is unlikely, but dual pressure of its possibility and persisting insecurities will cause the issue to fester. Instability to reign.
There are silver linings in the shape of PAS and GPS, who prefer any permutation of Pribumi Bersatu and Umno partnership, as long as it’s not PKR or DAP.
Pakatan unfolded
The only news from PKR these days are about sackings.
The internal memo states an intention to clean house. Critics see it as retribution. But both would agree it’s pandemonium.
When deputy Azmin was sacked, the party constitutionally turned to one of the four elected vice-presidents to take over.
Zuraida Kamaruddin is axed, Tian Chua asked to present show-cause for his “disloyalty” to the party and Nurul Izzah Anwar in a self-imposed seclusion, it only leaves Xavier Jeyakumar. Not the path to go when the party openly commits to a Malay-spine.
The three other appointed vice-presidents? Chang Lih Kang, a committed Anwarista from Perak and Tanjung Malim MP, Ali Biju who abandoned ship with Azmin and now deputy minister for energy and natural resources or the ever-effervescent Rafizi Ramli who publicly quit politics and focuses on big data through an offshoot from his political think tank, Invoke.
Xavier or Chang?
Or just cajole Nurul Izzah to return, because it's never out of fashion to force people to offices they rather not enter and let the rakyat live with the reluctance they display.
The whole thing has turned into an unending comedy of errors with no adult at the steering wheel.
There are those adamant it would be easier to force restart the country than PKR with Anwar at the helm.
Madness as such must be the result of clever planning. The universe can’t continue in its own calamity, however much it’s expanding.
That’s PKR only, but the coalition as a whole has more to answer.
Two things remain outstanding; one, a cogent response to lack of Malay-ness in Pakatan accusation, which knocked the coalition down over and over till it was down for the count; and two, the coalition has never apologised to the Malaysian people for losing power.
The latter is simpler, but when Anwar is flanked by Lim Kit Siang and Lim Guan Eng on either side, the coalition comprehensively lacks the ability to be circumspect about its own failings in the previous power transition. They lost a comfortable majority because of infighting. And, despite Mahathir’s own share of the fall, those who run Pakatan today have not said sorry. They dropped the ball.
The former is strategic. Either choose to appease outright the Malay-first groups or show courage and defend egalitarianism while demanding all of Pakatan, DAP no less, decry racial discriminations. To uphold equality without picking and choosing.
But choose they must and pursue with diligence. It was their halfway measures, trying to be as pro-Malay as Umno, as Islamic as PAS and as egalitarian as they coud afford to be, being all things to all people, which emboldened their enemies, estranged them from their fans and kept the rakyat confused about their beliefs.
The biggest fear
To be stuck in neutral while an 18-tonne truck hurtles towards us.
It’s shambles at both ends, Perikatan and Pakatan.
But Perikatan’s Umno and Bersatu Pribumi know when to regroup in order to remain in power, and Pakatan is led by men distracted by ego and history rather than rationalism, therefore perpetually trapped in their own rhetoric. Hiring open-top buses before securing a victory parade.
Does Malaysia want to go through another round of “who’s in charge now?”
And end up with ambiguous power for whoever wins, because neither get a clear or confident majority. At a time of economic recession?
The last time the Agong had to do the count, because the party presidents’ count claims were unreliable. And they were.
And if a third government collapses, an election must be called. Do Malaysians want an election at a time they really rather a vaccine?
Wouldn’t the safe bet be to carry on, with the cuts, bruises and scars till the natural cycle of elections.
For PN to battle the situation and economic uncertainties and be measured at the end of the tenure.
For Pakatan to prepare over the next 36 months for the general election, with a Malaysian strategy bolstered by leadership renewal in PKR and values introspection in DAP.
Otherwise, this is going to infect the people far worse than the disease threatening our present movements.
* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.
