The Malaysian Insight

HAVING a deputy prime minister from Bersatu will create political stability for Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob who currently has a fragile support of 114 lawmakers, political analysts said.

They reasoned the ideal candidate should come from Bersatu, which had surrendered the top post at the expense of its president, Muhyiddin Yassin, for Ismail Sabri.

Universiti Malaya political lecturer Dr Awang Azman Awang Pawi said that while the position is not provided for in the Federal Constitution, it is necessary in the current political climate.

“The post of deputy prime minister can form a stable government if the person appointed is accepted by all parties and can be a mediator to any conflict that arises,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Awang Azman said appointing a deputy prime minister from Bersatu will strengthen the government’s position and help keep the splintered Umno party pacified after it had lost the top position.

Universiti Utara Malaysia political lecturer Ahmad Martadha Mohamed noted that Bersatu had previously given the deputy prime minister’s post to Umno.

Ismail Sabri was appointed deputy prime minister on August 7, holding the post for 45 days before Muhyiddin resigned after losing majority support in the Dewan Rakyat.

“That (giving Ismail Sabri the post) had strengthened ties between the parties and stabilised the government,” he said.

Ahmad Martadha felt that a deputy prime minister will be able to streamline the government’s administration better than the senior ministers during Muhyiddin’s administration.

“If there are two senior ministers, then their positions are the same, so it is difficult to get compliance (that is, to agree on policies).

“The main problem before this was that; during Muhyiddin’s cabinet, there was no coordination,” he said.

The Perikatan Nasional supreme council that had met on Sunday had given Muhyiddin, who is the party chairman, the role to negotiate (who will get) the post of deputy prime minister with Ismail Sabri.

The names of four Bersatu leaders are now being bandied about among the candidates for the deputy prime minister’s post.

Meanwhile, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) has also staked a claim to the position and  suggested that the candidate be from Sabah or Sarawak.

Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president James Jemut Masing even suggested that two deputy prime ministers be appointed from Sabah and Sarawak respectively.

Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) secretary-general Sebastian Ting also suggested the post of deputy prime minister be reserved for Sabah and Sarawak.

Here, The Malaysian Insight compiles a list of candidates for the post.

Mohamed Azmin Ali (Gombak MP)

The former senior minister in Muhyiddin’s cabinet is the top name in the race with almost four years’ experience as Selangor menteri besar and more than three years as economic minister.

Azmin joined Bersatu after leading a group of 10 PKR MPs to leave Pakatan Harapan which toppled the PH government in February 2020.

His image among the rakyat is, however, not rosy due to his significant involvement in the Sheraton Move, which brought down the PH government.

Azmin’s decision as former minister of international trade and industry to grant operating permits to the manufacturing sector which later led to the spread of Covid-19 has not gone down well with the public.

It seems that his appointment as deputy prime minister will also offend senior Bersatu party leaders.

Hamzah Zainuddin (Larut MP)

Higher in the hierarchy than Azmin in Bersatu is secretary-general Hamzah Zainuddin who is also the secretary-general of the PN coalition.

The former home minister is considered the head of the bloc of former Umno MPs who left the party and joined Bersatu after the 14th general election.

Hamzah became Muhyiddin’s confidant when Bersatu faced a major crisis after the Sheraton Move which ended with the removal of several of its founding leaders including former chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Ahmad Faizal Azumu (Tambun MP)

Compared to Azmin and Hamzah, former Perak menteri besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu outranks them as the Bersatu deputy president and the deputy chairman of Perikatan Nasional.

In early August, he was appointed special adviser to the prime minister and given a ministerial post. However, his tenure only lasted two weeks following Muhyiddin’s resignation on August 16.

His political fate is almost the same as Muhyiddin’s. Ahmad Faizal had resigned as menteri besar after losing the vote of confidence in the Perak State Assembly on December 4, 2020.

Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof (Alor Gajah MP)

A founder member of Bersatu, Redzuan is currently a Supreme Council member who was appointed after he lost in his bid to become the Bersatu Masjid Tanah division and later failed to get one of the three vice-presidential posts.

He was appointed in Muhyiddin’s cabinet as minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Special Functions).

Alexander Nanta Linggi (Kapit MP)

The Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) secretary general was Ismail Sabri’s deputy in the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development between 2015 and 2018.

His name for the post is supported by Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), which is a component of GPS.

They hope to make history with Alexander being appointed as the first Dayak deputy prime minister.

Alexander was the domestic trade and consumer affairs minister in Muhyiddin’s cabinet.

Fadillah Yusof (Petra Jaya MP)

Fadillah was the senior minister of works during the Muhyiddin administration.

The vice-president of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) was also slated for the post when Muhyiddin was appointed prime minister.

Fadillah has extensive experience in the cabinet and was also the works minister during Najib Razak’s administration in 2013 to 2018. – August 24, 2021.