KUALA LUMPUR – Will Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah finally fill in the prime minister post following Umno’s withdrawal of support for the Perikatan Nasional government and embattled leader Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin?
Tengku Razaleigh’s officers told The Vibes that the discussion lies solely in the hands of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.
An officer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said conventionally, when a sitting prime minister loses majority, he should step down.
“The appointment of his successor is pursuant to the discretion of His Majesty, who will select the candidate whom he thinks commands majority support among the 220 MPs.
“The king may invite all of the parliamentarians or customarily seek advice on who should be anointed as Muhyiddin’s successor.
“In the past, when the federal government was led by Umno – Barisan Nasional’s biggest component party – the post could be assumed by the deputy prime minister, but that was when the government enjoyed a strong two-thirds majority in the august House.
“Now, Muhyiddin’s entire cabinet needs to step down as it is believed that it no longer has the majority, unless there are backdoor deals going on as we speak.
It is also believed that the leader had lost his majority for some time, judging by the way Parliament was conducted last week, said the officer.
The officer also acknowledged that Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob may also be in line to replace Muhyiddin.
Ultimately, the officials said the king, as the constitutional monarch, should decide.
“We will wait for the announcement by the palace. We should pray for the best, and hope the best decision can be reached to resolve the political crises in the country.
“Everybody may be eyeing the post, but we feel that the king is supreme on this matter.”
Meanwhile, Universiti Sains Malaysia political scientist Prof Sivamurugan Pandian agreed that Muhyiddin’s entire cabinet may need to step down because his government has lost its majority.
He said the deputy prime minister post does not exist under the federal constitution, and was formed under the prime minister’s purview.
He said it is now up to Muhyiddin to prove to the Agong that he has the majority, adding that until then, the administration should be able to continue.
Tengku Razaleigh, 84, who is affectionately known as Ku Li, is the longest serving parliamentarian in the country. He has been Gua Musang MP since 1974.
Ku Li was known as the man who almost clinched the prime minister post, long before PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was seen as a potential heir to the position.
However, he had lost the Umno president post to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed in a close contest in 1987.
A key figure under the leadership of several prime ministers, such as Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, Tun Hussein Onn and Mahathir, Ku Li – as former finance minister – was the architect behind the formation of key government-linked companies such as Pernas, Petronas and various Bumiputera-based institutions. – The Vibes, August 3, 2021
