KUALA LUMPUR – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob will be on pins and needles when Parliament puts to vote a crucial constitutional amendment that allows for the future enactment of an anti-party hopping law.
The ringing of the bell ahead of voting – either later today or tomorrow – will certainly jog his memory back to the humiliating event that transpired in the Dewan Rakyat on the evening of March 23.
Then, requiring just a simple majority of the lower house to pass a motion on the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma), Ismail Sabri’s government fumbled at the finishing line, losing by a single vote.
Now, the Bera MP must garner the support of at least two-thirds of the MPs for the Constitution (Amendment) Bill (No. 3) 2022, which observers say will be indicative of his leadership.
If it passes, he can breathe a sigh of relief – at least for a few months – until his government tables the anti-hopping bill that has so far failed to secure the backing of certain quarters in cabinet.
Failing which, more questions will be raised about his leadership of the federal government.
For Ismail Sabri, he can at least take comfort from the fact that the majority of political parties have expressed support for the amendment, albeit with some reservations, including the largest opposition bloc – Pakatan Harapan (PH).
This, however, should not mean the prime minister can rest on his laurels, experts warned.
Lacking in strong political will?
Speaking to The Vibes, Universiti Malaya academician Prof Awang Azman Awang Pawi said failure to pass the amendment today could pose as Ismail Sabri’s biggest setback yet.
Not only will his position as prime minister be questioned, but the political memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with PH, which explicitly listed the tabling of an anti-hopping bill as a condition, could also potentially collapse.
To avoid this, Azman said it is vital that the prime minister not be overconfident of victory and for him to engage with lawmakers from all parties to obtain their views, even at the eleventh hour.
This is after several MPs expressed concerns that the constitutional amendment to Article 10, in its current state, is open for abuse, as it grants the government broad powers to implement provisions to remove elected representatives on a whim.
He said the challenges faced by Ismail Sabri are reflective of the political reality today, where the ruling party not only has to appease the opposition but even other government friendly parties.
The fact the cabinet was forced to postpone the tabling of the anti-hopping bill originally planned for today after resistance within the government showed the current make-up of multiple components in the government is not viable, he added.
Regardless, you need strong character in leadership and political will to see this through, which I feel Ismail Sabri lacked. Otherwise, how do you plan to convince lawmakers from even your own cabinet?”
Placating others makes things harder for PM
Like Awang Azman, Universiti Utara Malaysia’s Prof Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani believes the current configuration in the government means the prime minister is constantly required to placate the other components, and that there is every possibility that today’s amendment could fail.
This explains why Ismail Sabri had deferred plans to table the anti-hopping bill today, he said, with Bersatu supposedly opposing some of the provisions in the proposed legislation.
“Even if Umno agrees to the bill, but Bersatu and PAS don’t, it’s pointless. This makes it difficult for the government to carry the bill into Parliament.
Imagine if it is tabled, but gets rejected, the MoU might crumble, and there will also be risks of infighting in the government,” he said, referring to potential bust-ups involving Bersatu for not taking into account its views.
For Azizuddin, Ismail Sabri’s biggest challenge now is to convince all MPs to support the constitutional amendment, and that if he manages this, it will be considered a success.
However, the academician warned that failing to see the bill through would serve as a huge slap to Ismail Sabri’s leadership, especially after his government failed in embarrassing fashion to pass the Sosma motion last month.
“Despite this, I wouldn’t go as far as saying that it will raise questions over his prime ministership, because then you will have to look at the bigger context of what he has done economically, socially and at the international level.” – The Vibes, April 11, 2022
.jpeg)
