From hero to zero: Muhyiddin’s spectacular fall from grace

KUALA LUMPUR – Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s downfall is the perfect example of how much things can change in politics within years.

Bereft of support, he yesterday announced he will relinquish the top post in Putrajaya, just six years after he was heralded as a national hero for speaking out against then prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak at the height of the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal.

Then holding the position of the country’s number two, Muhyiddin was the first in Najib’s cabinet to sing a different tune to his boss with regard to the mega financial scandal, when others around him continued to ardently back Najib.

A 70-minute scathing speech during an Umno division meeting on July 26, 2015 took the nation – and to an extent the government – by surprise, as the maverick Muhyiddin pressed Najib to quit as 1MDB adviser and alleged that Barisan Nasional (BN) would lose if a general election was called then.

Muhyiddin was removed as deputy prime minister just two days later, and sacked from Umno in June the following year, as he began his years-long quest for political reform.

Muhyiddin’s heroics would not stop there. In September 2016, he together with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad would form Bersatu, the party he currently leads as president.

Three months later, Bersatu went on to sign what would be an all-important agreement to formally join Pakatan Harapan (PH), and the rest, as they say, is history.

Riding on public sentiment against a corrupt government, Bersatu and its PH allies would defeat BN in a historic general election on May 9, 2018.

While not necessarily playing the leading role in the change of federal government, the pull factor Muhyiddin had in Johor had inspired the PH coalition to capture the state, while a number of parliamentary seats that traditionally belonged to BN there also changed hands.

This, however, was short-lived as the infamous Sheraton Move in February 2020 saw the toppling of the PH government, triggered by immense infighting among component parties.

With no end in sight for the political impasse then – as no one individual supposedly garnered enough support to form a new government initially – Muhyiddin stepped up, putting himself forward as a candidate and managing to pull the backing of MPs from various parties.

While Muhyiddin’s appointment was harshly condemned by critics accusing him of leading a backdoor government, there were those hopeful of fresh change following 22 months of a power struggle within PH that threatened to destabilise the country.

The timing of his appointment was unfortunate, to say the least, as he took over the country in the middle of the Covid-19 health crisis, but the government’s initial handling of the pandemic was admirable.

Malaysia consistently recorded daily cases below 50 from May after a nationwide lockdown in March last year kept the number of infections in check, as Muhyiddin earned praise for the government’s performance which saw his popularity rise.

However, a relaxation of public health standard operating procedures during the Sabah election in September derailed all the government’s hard work.

With cases spiralling out of control since, and with the imposition of a nationwide emergency, Muhyiddin began to find himself in Malaysians’ bad books.

But it was not until recent weeks that pressure for his removal reached its peak, as the country recorded its highest number of Covid-19 cases and deaths.

Things were aggravated after his government announced last month the revocation of emergency ordinances without royal assent, leading to his falling out with Istana Negara.

As Umno officially withdrew its support for him two weeks ago – on the pretext that it did not want to support a government that disrespected the Yang di-Pertuan Agong – Muhyiddin officially lost the majority backing of Parliament.

The Pagoh MP remained unmoved by this development and refused to step down, prompting further anger and frustration among the rakyat, who they demanded new leadership.

As he desperately attempted to hold on to power, Muhyiddin on Saturday offered the opposition a slew of promised reforms in return for support during the confidence vote initially scheduled for next month. This backfired as the offer was rejected and he was accused of bribery.

The embattled Bersatu president succumbed to pressure yesterday, finally offering his resignation to the Agong.

Muhyiddin may have been heralded as a hero in the past, but when he clocks out as prime minister, it will be with hopes of a much better leader waiting to replace him, and with the general sentiment that he has failed the country. – The Vibes, August 16, 2021