KOTA BARU – Any candidate who aspires to be prime minister should be a team player, not a lone ranger, if they want to garner the necessary support, said Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Md Alwi Che Ahmad.
He said this criterion should be a strong basis in the selection of the prime minister should there be a vacancy in the position soon.
Referring to the prospect of Umno veteran Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah as a possible prime minister candidate, Alwi said although the latter hails from the same state as him, the Kelantan “prince” is never part of team efforts.
“He seemed detached from us. He acted alone. We could never count on him for support if we wanted it. This is a sad case. He was a lone ranger,” Alwi told The Vibes.
He said that history has proven that the choice of prime ministers is often mandated by the support the person receives from his political party, Parliament, in addition to being an elected representative.
“I think to be prime minister material in this country, you need to garner support from as many people as possible. From the diverse race groups too such as the Malays, Chinese and Indians as well as the minorities. We need team players, not mavericks.”
He said even the Conference of Rulers decides on matters as a team.
Meanwhile, lawyers who preferred anonymity said the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government is on the verge of treachery because it was not schooled to govern within the confines of the federal constitution and the law.
The first aspect is that if Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin resigns honourably, the entire cabinet must go with him.
This precedent was set by Muhyiddin’s predecessor Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who, in stepping down, brought the Pakatan Harapan government with him.
So, there is no onus for Ismail Sabri as present deputy prime minister to assume the top post, said the lawyers.
Secondly, a minority government can only exist after the outcome of a general election, not midway in the legislative parliamentary term, they added.
Thirdly, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s wisdom would be called upon after the prime minister resigns, where prospective candidates need to convince His Majesty that he or she can command the majority of support in Parliament, the lawyers said. – The Vibes, August 15, 2021
