The Malaysian Insight

PRIME Minister Muhyiddin Yassin wants to remain in power to avoid letting the kleptocrats take over the country.

“The reason I have made such offers to the opposition is to ensure the government will function as usual during the pandemic with bipartisan support in Parliament.

“I cannot allow the kleptocrats to govern during this time,” said the beleaguered prime minister during a last-minute national address on live television this evening.

“As such, I am inviting all the political party leaders to discuss my proposals next week. I will issue the official invitation to all party leaders and I’m prepared to listen to everyone’s views,” said the 74-year-old.

He said the government will call for a special Dewan Rakyat sitting to table a confidence vote for the prime minister if the opposition agrees to work with the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government.

Muhyiddin also promised to hold a general election by July next year.

This is not the first time Muhyiddin has referred to the term “kleptocrats”, which was used in reference to former prime minister Najib Razak and Umno.

Incidentally, Muhyiddin had toppled the Pakatan Harapan government to form the PN government last year by working with Najib and also Umno.

The prime minister is believed to be making a last ditch offer to the opposition for bipartisan support ahead of an impending confidence vote in Parliament next month.

Among the offers he made today were to enact laws to prevent party-hopping, for a two-term prime minister, and parliamentary reform that will increase opposition roles in Parliament.

Muhyiddin is estimated to have only 100 MPs supporting him after 14 Umno MPs withdrew their support for him in the 220-MP Dewan Rakyat last week.

Prior to today, the PN government had rejected the offer of a confidence and supply agreement with the opposition last year when it had a slim majority support of 115 MPs in Dewan Rakyat during the tabling of Budget 2021.

It has also rejected other offers of cooperation with the opposition at the federal and state levels in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic and has only decided to offer a bipartisan approach after Muhyiddin has lost the confidence of MPs last week. – August 13, 2021.