KUALA LUMPUR – Politicians from both sides of the divide have lambasted Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for his demands to have the deputy prime minister (DPM) post filled by a Perikatan Nasional (PN) candidate when instead, the focus should be on post-pandemic economic recovery.
PKR’s Datuk Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid laughed off the demand, instead urging Muhyiddin to “focus on his job” as the National Recovery Council chairman and help the nation bounce back from the pandemic.
Abdullah Sani also pointed out that further political manoeuvring, when the federal government’s term is due to end in less than a year, is simply unnecessary.
“There is no need to have all these conversations about DPM now. Waste of time.
The election is, at most, less than a year away. Sabar je lah (just be patient),” he said.
However, the Kapar MP understood why PN, particularly Bersatu, seemed adamant to push for the post to be filled by someone within its ranks.
“Basically, if anything happens to the PM, they can then take over the role. But seriously, it is better for him to just focus on helping the people rather than doing this,” he said.
Earlier, Muhyiddin had confirmed a meeting he had with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob last Saturday to discuss a number of issues pertaining to PN’s agreement with the latter.
This included discussing the filling of key positions within the government – including who is Ismail Sabri’s number two.
Barisan Nasional adviser Datuk Seri Najib Razak had then chided Muhyiddin for his supposed demands, stating that the Pagoh MP should drop his misplaced priorities and simply focus on his official duties.
In a sharp retort, Bersatu information chief Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan had defended Muhyiddin. He reiterated the latter’s contributions as prime minister during the pandemic and hailed him as a respectable statesman.
Wan Saiful also argued that Najib and Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had only contributed to a state of kleptocracy while leveraging their party to create political unrest for personal gain.
Prior to Muhyiddin’s revelation, rumours were rife that Bersatu was pushing for the DPM post to be filled by its secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin.
The move is also crucial, according to political observers, to stabilise Bersatu’s influence following the departure of Datuk Seri Zuraida Kamaruddin from the party and its abysmal performance in the Melaka and Johor elections.
Hamzah, who is also the home minister, faced speculation by political observers that he could return to Umno, along with several other Bersatu senior leaders.
Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan also rebuffed Muhyiddin’s request, stating that the current government is running sufficiently without a deputy prime minister so far.
Moreover, Rahman also concurs that a parliamentary election is going to be held soon and the people are unlikely to accept another addition to the cabinet line-up.
Additional costs of upholding the office of the DPM are not going to be accepted by the rakyat, especially under current circumstances in which the nation finds itself.
“A DPM post and a minor cabinet reshuffle will also create political instability, which the government cannot afford to have at the moment.” – The Vibes, July 5, 2022
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