Mirage on the horizon: Ahmad Maslan mocks idea of Dubai Move as mere ‘fata morgana’

UMNO Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan has brushed aside the threat posed by the ‘Dubai Move’, which is supposedly aimed at toppling the Unity Government as has been publicised of late, as an impotent figment of the imagination.

According to him, it would be impossible to put in effect such a move because the government of today would remain in place even if 30 MPs from Umno drop their support.

"Dubai Move? This is just a fata morgana,” he said, referring to the Italian term for a mirage that is visible in a narrow band just above the horizon.

He mocked the notion, pointing out that that each MP from Barisan Nasional (BN), of which Umno is a part, has signed an agreement to pay millions if he ever defects.

"A total of 30 Umno and Barisan Nasional MPs have signed to pay RM100 million if they want to jump parties.

"Who has that much money? Even if 30 members leave, the government will still stay with 122 (MPs) supporting," he said in a message posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Ahmad, who is a deputy works minister, stressed that people in Malaysia want stability and economic strength.

The Unity Government is now supported by 151 MPs in the 222-seat Dewan Rakyat, giving it a comfortable two-thirds majority in Parliament.

There have been viral messages on social media over the past week on claims that a group of Perikatan Nasional (PN) MPs were in Dubai in an attempt to meet the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

According to the claims, some BN MPs were also in the Middle Eastern city to do the same.

It was also claimed that the plan involved representatives of Umno, PN and Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).

Yesterday, Community Communications Department (J-Kom) deputy director-general Datuk Ismail Yusop had said that the Dubai Move cropped up when certain PN leaders were holidaying in the UAE recently.

He claimed that a meeting took place in the country’s main city of Dubai to discuss specific duties for 'officers' responsible for identifying MPs who can be influenced to shift support to the opposition.

The intention is purportedly to set up a government through backdoor means.

He claimed that the conspiracy also involved influential veteran political figures with the rank of Tun who conspired with the opposition, by also allegedly using 'foreign sources', to overthrow the government of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim

"Ahead to the new year, since this week or two, rumours about attempts to use backdoor manoeuvrings to take over the Madani Government resurfaced," Ismail had said in an interview with Berita Harian.

He claimed there were even former ministers and their allies involved in the plans, which included the use of all local and foreign resources.

Ismail said he had gotten information about the new move to overthrow the government from various sources.

Prior to this, there were other claims circulating on social media earlier this month that the present government would collapse and that an official announcement on this would be made soon.

In a dialogue session with senior editors on December 24, Anwar had stressed that any attempt to change the government would not be possible without support from Sarawak and Sabah.

He said that that the ruling parties in Sarawak and Sabah, respectively GPS and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GPS), and other components contributing to the Unity Government are solidly behind his administration.

He had also said that GPS leader Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg, who is the premier of Sarawak, told him the day before that there had been attempts to entice him to swing to the other side.

Johari had met Anwar at Seri Perdana in Putrajaya on December 23. He gave an assurance that GPS would not entertain any move to replace the current federal government. – The Vibes, December 31, 2023