There is some concern whether Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will survive the vote of confidence when Parliament convenes on 19 December.
A lot depends on whether Umno can be trusted at this crucial stage to stand solidly with the ‘unity government’. If Umno, for instance, is assured by Perikatan Nasional chairman Mahiaddin Yasin and company that Umno president Zahid Hamidi will be appointed as PM if Anwar is toppled on 19 December, will that lead to betrayal? Power is too tempting, far too intoxicating, certainly highly persuasive to care for principles and ethics.
Rumour has it that Umno vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob and some other Umno guys purportedly skipped a recent Umno supreme council meeting and allegedly headed to Jakarta. Another rumour swirling around has it that Mahiaddin allegedly also made a beeline to Jakarta.
Does this suggest something is brewing? Is something being hatched and plotted against Anwar? If this is true, it is worrying.
Is a Jakarta move shaping up for Monday when Parliament meets? Given the infamous Sheraton move of 2020 that derailed Dr Mahathir Mohamad from power, is this too far-fetched – or a real possibility that may take all of us by surprise?
- Sign up for Aliran's free daily email updates or weekly newsletters or both
- Make a one-off donation to Persatuan Aliran Kesedaran Negara, CIMB a/c 8004240948
- Make a pledge or schedule an auto donation to Aliran every month or every quarter
- Become an Aliran member
To compound the worrying situation, we were informed yesterday by Jelebu MP Jalaluddin Alias that Barisan Nasional MPs have not received any instructions to support Anwar as Prime Minister.
According to Jalaluddin, “There are no specific instructions given by Barisan Nasional’s top leadership to its MPs to support the prime minister in the vote of confidence motion in the Parliament session which will convene on 19 December.”
The vote of confidence will take place in five days’ time. Is it not totally flabbergasting that this important issue was not discussed at the recent Umno supreme council meeting? That question mark denotes a puzzle.
If Umno is surely and truly part of the unity government, shouldn’t this have been discussed and decided at the latest a week before Parliament convenes on Monday? What is the reason for not instructing the BN MPs to support the prime minister even at this late hour? Are we spot on in suspecting that something is indeed brewing at the last minute?
On Monday not only Anwar’s fate will be decided, but he will also know who his friends are!
This is why I say that the integrity of those who had pledged their support will also be tested on Monday. Will their integrity be sacrificed for power and greed?
If this were to happen, Malaysians – besides condemning this betrayal – must make sure that these rogues and scoundrels will never have any future in Malaysian politics. More than that, their parties must also be buried for good.
It would be a sad day for Malaysia if Anwar’s tenure is cut short. He carries our hopes and dreams and promises a better governance that will be accountable, transparent and responsible. It will be a tragedy if his tenure is cut short, especially when we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.
Robbing Anwar’s opportunity to serve our beloved country is denying us a great future and a better Malaysia. If this speculated betrayal does takes place, it will be a lesson for us to remember: “Some of the most poisonous people come disguised as friends and family.”
AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
- Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
- Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
I believe that Anwar will still have majority support even if all BN MPs vote against him, provided the Sabah and Sarawak parties still support him.
If not, then we will be in another round of politischeiss, with trying to form another majority grand coalition of coalitions, and I don’t think another general election will break this impasse, given Malaysia’s now changed political landscape of four coalition blocs.
Lest we forget, this marks the first time in Umno’s 76-year history where
the incumbent leader has to hold on to ostensible power to browbeat
his opponents and retain his incumbent leadership position.
Umno led the Malaysian government for 63 years before it lost the baton
in 2018. As I have said repeatedly before Umno lost power, even the
Bolsheviks could hold on to power in the Soviet Union for only 73 years,
the Congress Party in India for only 51 years, and the LDP in Japan for
only 38 years.
Today, Umno, like the LDP and Congress, is struggling to hold on to the
semblance of power in one equation or another. What a sight to behold,
certainly not the likes of Christobel which was a sight to dream and not
to tell!
Remember Elvis Presley’s song “Devil in disguise?” Discounting Halloween we encounter devils in disguises daily. These keep their distance from God but serve d material world n all it has to offer in this life. Evil does not come with horns n a fork 2day. Temptation is sweet n sin pleasurable. Many fail to remember that death comes like a thief in d night! 🙏 We pray for Anwar that d spirit of truth will protect him against his enemies n all sheep in wolves clothing! 😍