Political situation is of concern to many of Malaysia’s top echelon of businesspeople, politicians, civil servants, and even members of the Royal Families. There is a strong feeling amongst the country’s elite that Malaysia needs good governance rather than politicking. Many are very sympathetic to the concept of a national unity government, as a solution to this impasse, as it appears any election will not bring a harmonious result the nation requires. The idea of a national unity government is not without any precedent,.Andwe are not satisfied that our decision today has put a spanner in the propaganda machinery that was spinning the perception about someone’s inevitable rise to power.
In a hard-hitting interview,TAN SRI MUHYIDDIN said the UMNO would be dominated by one person and everybody else had been tamed into submission is Najib that important to us Malays entire UMNO has been bulldozed. In politics you don’t go by the technicalities of statements. politician take decisions based on their assessment of the situation the writing on the wall was very clear, and we could not have fooled ourselves into believing that nothing has happened.With the perceived weakening of Najib Bin Razak’s position of tenure as Malaysian Prime Minister, there is deep speculation within the country about moves afoot to form a national unity government.We would have had only ourselves to blame if we had subscribed to the charade of normalcy. We would have been presented with a fait accompli which would have been completely antithetical to our ideology.Abuses are heaped on journalists as well as others, who don’t agree with a particular viewpoint or join in the propaganda. Is this democracy? What happened to right to dissent? All these things helped make up our mind
Since the Barisan National’s re-election on May 5, there has been a distinct shift in stance towards ‘Ketuanan Melayu’ or Malay privilege, at the cost of 1Malaysia inclusive philosophy. There is now little talk about the Government Transformation Program, and after a relaxed stance towards rallies by the opposition, authorities are now taking stern action towards Anwar’s 505 movement with mass arrests of demonstrators over the weekend. Even Najib’s calls to make UMNO more inclusive has aggravated many within his party. It is irrational exuberance. The euphoria is of no consequence. It does not reflect the popular mood and opinion. The fact is that we can hope to bring an alternative government only under the leadership of someone who do not enjoy the confidence of all sections.We could not have compromised our basic concern and ideology. We wanted an amicable parting and invited them for a discussion to sort out the modalities, but were spurned. Then their ministers stopped attending to their work, and did not turn up for the meeting of the Cabinet. The Constitution does not recognize a scheme where people can remain ministers even when they refuse to work. People gave me a mandate so that I work for them. I could not have ignored the responsibility.
If one looked through the blogs and even the mainstream media over the weekend, so many different scenarios and numbers have been canvassed. Two speculative scenarios exist. One involving Premier Najib himself and the other with a move by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah or Ku Li as he is known.
The first option would involve Premier Najib Bin Razak making a move to bring in parties from the Pakatan Rakyat into the government, as has been spasmodically mooted over the last few years. Such a move would probably ensure UMNO with a much brighter future electorally. This would stall the Muhyiddin Yassin and Mahathir forces, and if completed smoothly, would sure up Najib’s position as President of UMNO in the coming October elections. Such a move would also allow Najib to change the narrative from the ‘ultraist’ direction it is going, to a more moderate and inclusive one. Such an achievement could elevate Najib in status, which might create a very positive legacy for him.
However this move would also seal the fate of the MCA, Gerakan, and maybe even the MIC, as they are tossed aside for the DAP, PAS, and PKR.
The probability of any national unity government would hold many outstanding issues which must be solved before it could happen. This would include policies and corruption, where it is rumored the new minister in the PM’s office Paul Low is shocked by the extent of waste and corruption within government. Determining a way for all parties to work through these issues could be big stumbling blocks to any potential agreement.
The biggest problem with any potential formation of a national unity government would be that any initiative by Najib may lack the persuasion and statesmanship needed to pull of such a big coup. His track record has been a very passive one during his tenure as prime minister, especially since the May 5 election. The formation of a national unity government would take a massive amount of negotiation and convincing to all parties, including the UMNO party membership. To date Najib hasn’t shown that he has got what it takes in this area.
The Tengku Razaleigh option has been gathering much speculation over the last few days, and there is a difference in the stories circulating as to whether Ku Li may make a bid for the UMNO party presidency, or seek to move a no confidence motion in the Prime Minister during the first day of Parliament sitting. His discussions with members of parliament from both sides fuels speculation about the latter. Ku Li is reported to be meeting political leaders in Sabah and Sarawak who are disillusioned with Najib for not appointing them to the Federal cabinet. Moreover they feel let down with the solid performance that they achieved in support of the BN with little reward to Sabah and Sarawak. Finally they have concerns about how a weakened BN will be able to govern effectively. Although there is much wishful thinking about this scenario, such a dramatic seizure of power doesn’t seem to be Ku Li’s modus operandi.
So what are the realistic chances that a national unity government could occur sometime in the near future?
A meeting between Najib Bin Razak and Anwar Ibrahim, although denied by Anwar, was reported to have taken place at the Istana Presiden Indonesia in Jakarta last Saturday. It can only be speculated upon what was discussed, but with pressure put on Najib by Mahathir, Najib’s options are limited. Najib’s bid to stop the two top posts within UMNO being contested by election was met with great animosity by pro-Mahathir bloggers. Likewise the authorities clamping down on the 505 rallies might put some pressure on Anwar to consider a national unity government, if that was indeed on the agenda of their discussions, if at all they occurred.
Any attempt to seize the initiative in trying to form a national unity government by Najib would no doubt meet with the full Roth of Tun Dr. Mahathir, who would go into overdrive to replace him as PM. This fact alone casts doubt about any moves by Najib to discuss the possibilities of forming any type of national unity government. It would be a brave man who crossed Tun, yet Najib is also desperate for self survival.
The logistics of organizing any form of national unity government which could survive the whole parliamentary term would be horrendous. Allocating ministries among DAP, PAS, and PKR, developing policies, and creating a working cabinet among previous adversaries is a tall order. However if this could be achieved a certain amount of political stability would be achieved and the centre of political gravity would return to the peninsula, something many want.
A national unity government might give the people of Malaysia the feeling that some of their aspirations have been met.
Ku Li first postulated a national unity government back after the 2008 election. In the post GE-13 scenario he would need PR’s 89 members, plus 35 other supporters to enable him to win a vote of no confidence on the floor of the Dewan Rakyat or lower house. Ku Li is probably seen as the only figure left in the parliament who could not only unite UMNO, but a government, and even the country as a whole.
The political leaders in Sabah are known for their fickleness, which was blamed for Anwar’s blotched September 16 defection back in 2008. From the UMNO side, one of the biggest unknowns is the new voting system within UMNO for the direct election of party resident this year. Nobody really knows what the majority of UMNO members really want. However there are many people inside of UMNO who might welcome Ku Li as a chance to break away from the current mold and allow the party to progress.
Things start to get much more complex from the Pakatan Rakyat side. The spiritual leader of PAS Nik Aziz has been against negotiations with UMNO, but now after standing down as the Chief Minister of Kelantan, his continued influence within the party is unknown. There are those within PAS who see negotiations with UMNO as a good thing for Malay and Muslim unity.
The DAP have gone so far without compromise and stalwarts within the party would likely oppose any such moves. But then many also said that the DAP would not last long within PR. The DAP has surprisingly lasted, even with the unfriendly rhetoric that arises from time to time from its coalition partners.
Ironically, it may be two archrivals Anwar Ibrahim and Dr. Mahathir who might be the big spoilers of any such moves towards any form of national unity government. Many close to Anwar Ibrahim often comment about his strong personal drive and determination to become PM, and a national unity government may exclude him of that chance. Consequently he may not allow PKR to become involved in any discussion or participate in any government. However those within PKR who believe that the party is more than a vehicle for Anwar to achieve his own political ambitions may be more conducive to the possibility of negotiations, especially given the fact that many PKR members are in actual fact ex-UMNO members. The serious mooting of a national unity government could develop a crisis within PKR between those who are opposed and those who want to explore the possibility.
From Tun Mahathir’s perspective, he is rebuilding influence within the party and any national unity government would threaten this. Any national unity government would take Malaysian politics to a new era where he may become excluded.
Malaysia’s political future must have UMNO within its calculations. UMNO has strong enough support by those who belief in its heritage, the party cannot be ignored. For those who see politics as the art of the pragmatic and possible, power sharing may be the avenue to change that so many Malaysians desire.
However, besides the spoilers, self interest is likely to get in the way of any real breakthrough with people fearful of losing positions and influence. Developing a new model of government without the embedded corruption that has gone on, may be too difficult a task, as those involved will need to cover up their deeds.
It is difficult to see how this issue could ever be resolved without giving immunity of prosecution, something people may not be willing to agree on.
“…the political leaders we now have are not honourable men. They are not men upon whom we can stake our future and the future of our country.They are not men who will do what we need most for our country – to restore political accountability and social justice.”-CT Ali
Rightly or wrongly too many of us think of wealth as a sign of greatness. And money is the root of all evil – even more so in politics.In as long as that view prevails, our political leaders will have problems of morality because the political leaders we now have are not honourable men.
They are not men upon whom we can stake our future and the future of our country.They are not men who will do what we need most for our country – to restore political accountability and social justice.
It is one thing to tell a white lie to gain an immediate or temporary political advantage over your opponent and for the most part the public can understand and possibly forgive this transgression.
But we are less likely to forgive a hypocrite. These are leaders who deceived and made deliberate efforts to continue to deceive the public over a lengthy period of time to gain political advantage.
In other words they take the public for a fool. Inevitably when truth prevails and these leaders are exposed for their wrongdoings, the public will react with contempt and disgust and forgiveness will not be possible.
Both Najib Tun Razak and Anwar Ibrahim have done this many times in their political life and the public has had enough of their duplicity.If we cannot believe in the honesty of our leaders than how can we allow them to lead us?
The turmoil our country is now in is because our people do not see the leaders that they want in either Najib or Anwar. Their political past reeks of duplicity, deceit and a denial to do what they themselves have promised their electorates they will do – good governance, openness and accountability while in public office.
The political realities after the 13th general election promises nothing more than continued turmoil that has allowed the Opposition to question the legitimacy of the electoral process.
The Opposition has chosen to do this not in a measured and structured manner. It has chosen instead to take its grievances to the people via its rallies on the premise that public opinion is the highest court in the land.And so the stage is set for the massive June 22 rally.
The self-serving belief
As far as I am concerned, Najib and Anwar can play at their selfish games but do it in their own time. Our country, our people, our future must take precedence before their personal mind games. For every action that they now take, they must ask themselves what their motives are.
The people are counting on the two of them to ensure that they are able to take care of their family, the community and country’s needs and will hold them accountable for their sins of commission and omission.
Unfortunately our leaders lost their moral compasses many years ago. They have not made enough effort to develop their moral and ethical compass to face True North! True North requires them to see themselves not as heroes but as servants of the people they lead.
For Najib and Anwar, power and prestige are the obvious attractions and yet they fool themselves into believing that they are serving something bigger than themselves – the people, King and country – not forgetting religion. And they have the audacity to believe that the people, King and country cannot do without them.
This self-serving belief drives them to keep going no matter what, and this will eventually lead to them breaching ethical and moral standards by which they have once held themselves accountable to.
The highs and the peaks of holding political power intoxicate them and they lose touch with reality – and the people around them learn not to confront them with reality.
In the lead up to the 13th general election, Anwar had convinced himself that he will win the general election. When he lost he could not accept the reality and so he continues to seek ways and means to secure that elusive win.
It is time Anwar confronted the fact that he has lost the election – however painful the reality is – before everything gets out of balance, and he will lose not only the respect of the Malaysian public but also his position within the Pakatan Rakyat coalition as its leader.
Where is Najib now taking us and our country to? It cannot be denied that there has been many irregularities and fraud in the election process, aided and abated by a compliant Election Commission.
The question now is this – if Najib and BN are already involved in these fraudulent activities to win the election, how will they now conduct themselves when in government? Can we trust them?
If a pact existed between Najib and Anwar – brokered by the former Indonesian Vice-President Jusuf Kalla to accept the results of the election whichever way it went – then our question has to be “why was a pact needed in the first place?” And why was this pact not made known to the public?
The long goodbye
All this and more boils down to moral leadership or the lack of it.You cannot abandon all those promises of open, accountable and good governance that you have both previously elevated to lofty prominence simply because it is no longer convenient for you to do so.
What separates good men, good leaders are the morals by which they live their life. Hubris and isolation from the real world is no excuse.
For Najib and Anwar, the long goodbye has started. Najib will have another five years to make good the promises he made to the people of Malaysia to gain him that five years. Anwar has the task of seeing that Najib does make good those promises. But more critical, Anwar has to make ready the next echelon of Pakatan leaders who will once again give the people of Malaysia a viable alternative.
Although a national unity government has so much to give Malaysia, and so many people view this as a real hope for the future, there are too many forces against this reality. Had a hung parliament resulted from the may 5th election, a national unity government led by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah may have been a real possibility, but the reality today may be that any potential national unity government is only a fairytale, albeit one shared by many.Media tries and judges….and is also the arbiter of probity and righteousness….Have you noticed this other thing that has been happening in our media space recently? That whoever takes media’s side is painted in virtuosity, and against, in dark colors of immorality. I suspect media does this with an agenda. To pull in more support … Read more
