Dear friends.
Let us all give our support to the leadership of Hussamuddin
Yaacub in fighting corruption in Malaysia.
I personally know him. He is genuine.
We must back him so that we can provide the mass support a
leader must have to impact change.
No need money. Just spread his message quest far and wide.
Join him tonite.
https://twitter.com/501awani/statuvs/1353734374080974848?s=21
Thanks. Peace, anas.
LEADERSHIP MANOEUVRES : The real reason by Chandra Muzaffar,
11th January 2021.
Why is it that in spite of increasing Covid 19 infections,
rising fatalities, massive floods in a number of states and serious economic
challenges, some politicians are still indulging in political machinations and
manipulations? His Majesty the Yang Di Pertuan Agong and a number of Rulers
have strongly advised politicians against indulging in political manoeuvres at
a time like this. Together with the rakyat, they have pleaded with the
politicians to refrain from politicking and concentrate instead upon taming the
pandemic and overcoming our economic woes.
Their plea has fallen upon deaf ears. Are some politicians
determined to pursue their agenda of replacing the Muhyuddin Yassin government
because they are convinced that it is “illegitimate”? The current government
was installed in March 2020 in accordance with constitutional procedures and
practices in the wake of the resignation of then Prime Minister Tun Mahathir
Mohamad. This has happened before at the state level, in Trengganu in 1961,
Sabah 1994 and Perak 2009. In fact the Barisan Nasional itself emerged in the
early seventies as a result of defections and cross-overs and became the new
inter-party coalition in power.
Perhaps we should have a law at federal and state levels
against defections in the legislatures which some of us have advocated since
the early eighties. It should be based upon the principle that an elected
legislator who is no longer capable of representing his constituents should
return his mandate to the voters. Unfortunately, many of those who are pushing
for the ouster of the present Prime Minister are not keen on the introduction
of such legislation. They want to continue to encourage defections if it serves
their narrow interests. Are those seeking the Prime Minister’s removal doing so
because they are convinced that he is incompetent?
After almost a year of the Coronavirus crisis, it is
obvious to most observers that Malaysia has performed relatively well under his
leadership, compared to many other countries. The political leadership
reinforced by a core in the civil service and the national health services have
displayed a deep sense of responsibility in executing their tasks in a calm and
organised manner. The delivery of economic assistance to the vulnerable and
their carefully planned approach to the imminent distribution of vaccines to
the people bear testimony to this.
The real reason why there are attempts to oust the Prime
Minister is linked to the thinly veiled interests of a handful of politicians.
There are individuals in parliament part of the largest component party in the
ruling coalition, allegedly involved in corruption whose court trials may
result in their incarceration ---- incarcerations which they hope some other
leader at the helm of the nation would be able to help them avert.
And there are leaders who for decades have sought the Prime
Ministership who may be prepared to play footsie with those individuals trying
to stay out of jail. Apart from this unholy alliance, there is also another
veteran Member of Parliament who feels that it is his ‘royal right’ to be Prime
Minister. He is joined by another veteran who was Prime Minister for a total of
24 years and remains convinced that no else can do the job and for that reason
wants to return to power! This coterie of leaders driven by differing motives
are united in their common goal of easing out the incumbent through multiple
manoeuvres though they have yet to reach consensus on who should replace
Muhyuddin.
Given the numbers game in elite politics, the weakness of
institutions that can check unscrupulous political behaviour, and the absence
of a strong commitment within the populace to principles in politics, those who
are seeking the Prime Minister’s ouster may even succeed. For those of us who
are not prepared to put aside ethical concerns in politics and public life and
realise the importance of a national leadership that is completely devoted to
overcoming the pandemic and ensuring an effective economic recovery over the
next two years, the politics of ousters should stop immediately.
It is In this regard that the following three point
proposal is being presented. One, this is the time for the Conference of Rulers
as a crucial instrument of governance to play its rightful role. The Conference
which has been described as the fourth arm of governance in our system --- the
other three being the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary --- should
not only implore all political actors to desist from politicking but also warn
them that they cannot create political uncertainty and foment discord and
friction without facing the full force of the law. They should understand that
the nation is in crisis and those who are hell-bent on pursuing their own
nefarious, self-serving agendas will be made to pay the price.
Two, the Conference of Rulers should also advise the
Executive to establish mechanisms at the Federal and State levels which will
enable the Opposition also to contribute to, and participate in, the decision-making
process vis-à-vis our twin health and economic crises. The Opposition’s role
should not be a mere tokenism. An active role for opposition parties will go a
long way towards diluting the adversarial atmosphere that prevails at the
moment.
Three, though the government – opposition mechanism
proposed here will concentrate upon our twin crises, it could also be utilised
to formulate measures directed towards improving governance as a whole. The
idea of a genuinely independent Ombudsman first articulated in the seventies
would be something worth pursuing. We are at a critical juncture. If our
leaders remain obsessed with the politics of power and position, we would be
hastening our own destruction. We are reaching the brink. Let us pull back---
before it is too late.
Dr Chandra Muzaffar has been writing on Malaysian politics
since the early seventies. Kuala Lumpur.
Peace.
