KUALA LUMPUR – In an apparent dig at Bersatu, Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan today said Malaysia has never before seen a government so unstable as the present one since independence.
In his opening remarks on the second day of the Umno General Assembly 2020 today, Ahmad said that the instability of the current government is especially evident through its fixation with the number of MPs it has under its belt.
“For the first time in history, the country’s politics is very unstable. This government is the most unstable in the world,” he said.
“Its leadership is always counting the support of MPs it has – almost on a daily basis – concerned that there are those who will withdraw their support.”
Ahmad noted that this is also the first time in history an emergency has been declared in the country for health reasons, referring to the state of emergency due to the Covid-19 pandemic, as declared by the king on the advice of Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is Bersatu president.
“While the Yang di-Pertuan Agong has since decreed that Parliament can reconvene, there is still no sitting to date,” Ahmad said.
For the first time in history, the country’s politics is very unstable. This government is the most unstable in the world.
Earlier this month, de facto law minister Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan said the cabinet will not advise the king to allow Parliament to reconvene during the emergency period until August 1, when the emergency is set to end, as there is no justification for it.
However, speculation has been rife that the decision is being made out of fear that Muhyiddin’s position may be challenged in Parliament, as the premier holds only a razor-thin majority.
At present, the Bersatu-led Perikatan Nasional government only enjoys the support of 112 MPs in the lower house.
Two Umno MPs – Machang’s Datuk Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub and Padang Rengas’ Datuk Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz –withdrew their support for PN earlier this year, while the party has maintained it will only continue backing the government until Parliament is dissolved.
Meanwhile, Ahmad said Umno has already started mobilising its machinery to prepare for the coming election, which he described as a “must-win”.
He said, while the past few years have seen Umno emerging victorious in various by-elections and the Sabah polls, the general election is what matters most.
“The victories in the state and by-elections under the stewardship of our president proves that Barisan Nasional and Muafakat Nasional are being increasingly accepted by the rakyat as a new political narrative.
“But to maintain this momentum into the general election will be a huge challenge.” – The Vibes, March 28, 2021
