The Malaysian Insight

THE opposition risks an electoral backlash in the next election if they fall for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s offer and appeal for bipartisan support in a confidence vote in Parliament next month, political pundits said.

Analysts told The Malaysian Insight the Bersatu chief was “desperately” trying to canvas support to remain in power when making his offer to opposition MPs in a live television broadcast yesterday to get bipartisan support to remain as prime minister and steer the country out of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Some in the opposition have long been tempted even before his latest, almost necessarily empty offers. But if they do so, they risk electoral reprisals in the next election,” said Dr Oh Ei Sun, who is a senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs. 

Oh said the prime minister had admitted that he no longer commands the majority in Parliament.

“It means he has admitted that he no longer commands the support of the parliamentary majority but is still adamant about not resigning, even going to the extent of publicly fishing for opposition support with fortuitous offers, to stay in power,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Oh, however, believes the opposition bloc and Umno may not agree to the offer.

Muhyiddin insisted he will not resign but that his cabinet had agreed that negotiations will be held with leaders of parties “outside Perikatan Nasional (PN)” ahead of a confidence vote to test his majority in Parliament next month.

The enactment of an anti-hopping law and carrying out parliamentary reforms were among the offers made by the embattled prime minister if he survives the confidence vote.

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

Political scientist Dr Wong Chin Huat said Muhyiddin’s main selling point is that Pakatan Harapan (PH), Umno and others are unable to offer an alternative majority.

He added that the Pagoh MP is giving opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah – both names bandied around for the top post – a run for their money with two challenges, to forge a majority or to come up with a better deal of reforms.

“The duo cannot just talk about numbers now,” Wong said.

“If PH-Umno can come up with a better offer than Muhyiddin’s, then Malaysia wins. Even if they fail to, Malaysia may see, under Muhyiddin, some reforms that PH failed to deliver,” he said.

He said this only goes to show that in politics what matters most is not values, but circumstances and unintended consequences can never be ruled out.

Meanwhile, political analyst from Universiti Malaya Awang Prof Dr Awang Azman Awang Pawi echoed that Muhyiddin had admitted his defeat by putting forth the offer to the opposition.

He, however, said the offers to enact laws to prevent party-hopping and for a two-term prime minister, are not new.

“The bill to limit the prime minister’s tenure to two terms was tabled during the PH administration.

“However, when PN took over the government, they were quiet about the reforms mooted by PH and today the bill is used as an offer by PN,” he said.

Political analyst from Universiti Sains Malaysia Dr Azmil Tayeb viewed Muhyiddin’s offer as a way to divide the opposition.

“There are PH MPs who are open to working with PN and there are also some who want the prime minister to resign and the government to be dissolved,” he said.

Bangi MP Ong Kian Ming said political parties could sit down and discuss whether the terms were acceptable.

“PM @MuhyiddinYassin has proposed a way forward with a number of institutional reforms that could leave a lasting impact on Malaysian politics if passed. I think that all political parties should sit down to discuss if these terms are acceptable or not, no?” he asked in a tweet.

Ong later thanked social media users for their feedback, and said he would abide by the PH presidential council’s decision to reject the offer. 

“Thanks for all of your views and comments. I take them all to heart, the good, the bad and the ugly. The PH presidential council has come up with a statement to reject the offer of negotiation made by PM @MuhyiddinYassin and I stand by my party’s decision. Good night y’all!” he tweeted. 

Muhyiddin is said to have only 100 MPs supporting him after 14 Umno MPs withdrew their support for him last week. – August 14, 2021.