Factors have changed in Malaysia amongst the various political parties and the Members of Parliament after the King started the process of meeting the MPs personally to get their view as who they support as Prime Minister. This makes it all the more important for the King to do again this process of determining who has the support of the majority.
Changing Situations - Some after MPs met the King
Before, the MPs started meeting the King. It looked like Dr Mahathir enjoyed majority support.
- UMNO and PAS came out supporting Mahathir, so did DAP and Parti Amanah. Those following the development had the impression that Dr Mahathir would get majority support and will be appointed the NEW Prime Minister. Warisan also said the same thing. So did the Gabungan Parti Sarawak.
- Then UMNO, PAS and this vague 'Muafakat Nasional' changed their mind - and announced that they had instead not supported anyone, and had asked the King to dissolve the Parliament and have a NEW General Elections.
- Then Dr Mahathir came out publicly and explained the recent happenings, the reason why he resigned, and his firm position that he will not support any coalition government which included UMNO. He said he respected the mandate given by the people. He also said, if by chance, he be appointed the new Prime Minister, he plans to appoint a Cabinet irrespective of political parties implying the best MPs or Senators for the job. He also indicated a falling out with BERSATU as the reason why he resigned as the Chairman of Bersatu. [Given the fact BERSATU had left PH, I wonder how he can even be considered the Chairman of the PH Presidential Council)
- Then later, the Pakatan Harapan announced that all the MPs have decided to name Anwar Ibrahim as the candidate for the NEW Prime Minister.
This is a NEW development - as we now have a new candidate for Prime Minister, and as such all the MPs who had previously met with the King who had chosen Dr. M OR asked Parliament to be dissolved, have now a new possibility. If UMNO/PAS 'coalition' or PH had made these decisions before the King started meeting MPs, then MPs may have voted differently.
Note that some who chose M, maybe with the belief that PH and its coalition Warisan...and the GPS position may now vote differently...because earlier they were given the impression that PH parties, after DAP and Amanah publicly said that they suppor Dr M for PM.
THEREFORE, the best solution, in my opinion, is for the King to meet again with all the MPs and ask them what they want - Parliament Dissolved OR M as Prime Minister OR Anwar as PM OR any other candidate as PM ...Best that all MPs who want to be considered as potential NEW PM publicly declare this now...
When factors change as had happened, then MPs position also change - now, maybe the MPs that earlier supported Dr. M, believing that was the position of the Pakatan Harapan may change their mind and follow the NEW position of PH in choosing Anwar, which was sadly revealed just about after the end of the King's meetings with MPs.
Rather than dissolving Parliament, the best solution is that the King goes back again to all Parliamentarians personally and ask their opinion - who do they support to be PM?
BERSATU MPs seems to be split by all these revelations - those who still support PH and still wants to adhere to the fulfilment of the Election Manifesto - and those who do not, who supported the founding a new Coalition to wrest power from PH. How many? We do not know?
Warisan MPs..even GPS MPs ..are just some of the others that may have changed their mind following recent developments.
Even one of the 11 or 12 of MPs that left PKR says that there has been a 'misrepresentation' and he did not want to leave PKR..
The King can have one, two, three meetings until he is satisfied as to what MPs want... This is democracy..
The King also leads the way in giving back MPs their OWN VOICE - Many MPs lost it. Government MPs fail in their 'check and balance' role when they fail to criticize government proposals
The NEW Cabinet model, as proposed by Dr M
A Cabinet of the best qualified MPs and/or Senators, irrespective of their political party affiliations - that is what Dr Mahathir plans to do if gets the majority support from the Members of Parliament(MPs).
That is a GOOD Idea - in fact, even before this there was one Cabinet Minister, who did not come from any of the 4 Pakatan Harapan parties or parti Warisan.
This will also mean Independent MPs could be included in such a Cabinet.
Now, the situation before was that the political parties insists on the number of Cabinet posts, and even the portfolios that they ought to get. They will even send the names of the people which should be in Cabinet. Hence, the PM is forced to make the best of the list of candidates provided by these parties - and we have seen that some have excelled in their performances in Cabinet - whilst others have not ...they have the position, and the Malaysian people are wondering what really they are doing ...or are they simply warming seats...
If the PM is given a free hand to choose the best people - maybe some of the political party Presidents may not be chosen. [My position, as i did state before, was that the party Presidents best not be in Cabinet and they should be free to independently monitor the Executive - free to critic and speak up on behalf of the party at any time, something that they may not have if they are in the Cabinet]
If all the party is part of the Executive(the Cabinet), will there be any Opposition - will Parliament be able to be a check and balance.
In Parliament, all MPs not in the Cabinet are the check and balance of the Executive - and that includes the 'backbenchers' being MPs from recently the Pakatan Harapan parties. But sadly, they do not 'speak up' criticizing anything the government says or does - The silence and insignificance could be seen by how many people of Malaysia even know the name of the Chairman of the Backbenchers' Club during Pakatan Harapan reign.
Many of the backbenchers, today from Pakatan Harapan - before from BN, simply choose to be silent and not seen criticizing the statements or actions of the government - they come out looking like '100% supporters of the government' - hence a failure of Parliament in its duty to act as an effective check and balance...
Opposition and backbenchers have a duty to frankly comment, and even criticize government actions and decisions. This is a duty of each and every MP, who represents the people of their Constituency.
MPs that only follow the direction of their political leaders, and do not act independently after taking into consideration the views of the constituents and also other views, and do what is just and right really ought to RESIGN for they have failed the people and democracy.
WHIPs of the different parties who tell their party MPs how to vote, should be abolished - or they should exist and use the whip for very important matters like the Budget and/or Financial Bill, which, if not passed, can compromise the functioning of government.
What is a WHIP? Wikipedia says as follows
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers," who typically offer inducements and threaten party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy. A whip's role is also to ensure that the elected representatives of their party are in attendance when important votes are taken. - Wikipedia
Parliament - Get rid of the 'WHIP', 'Party Line' - Restore freedom of discussion and vote to MPs?
The 26 absent MPs need apologize not try to justify absence during voting on POTA?
Parliamentary Reform...Attendance, Full Time MPs, Questions, Voting, Debate, Allocations?
So - even if the Cabinet has members from across the Board, be in the parties who rules or the Opposition is not really a big problem.
MPs must be FREE to express their own op
The suppression of the opinion and expression of MPs by their very own party must stop. They must get back their freedom of speech, opinion and vote.
The King has led the way, when he met each and every MP individually, and asked their position.
In parliament too, this FREEDOM must be restored to MPs - they act in accordance to the wishes of the their constituents, taking into consideration opinion of party members and leadership, and others before acting for the good of the people and/or JUSTICE.
Voting must be made transparent - so the people know who voted how. Knowing MPs positions is VITAL for Reform - and it gives the chance for the people to know and maybe even lobby for a different position. Now, many MPs are merely 'money or benefit' sources - they do not behave like peoples' representatives as is expected.
Nobody lobbies their MPs on issues of policy and laws - they just focus their lobby on political party leader or leadership because Malaysians, many of us, believe that MPs, more so if they are not in the leadership of their party, are merely 'puppets' who simply follow all their leader tells them to do...HOW SAD? Malaysians want MPs to play a more significant role as TRUE representatives of the people with their own opinions and stances on issues.
Many of us vote simply based on the political flags they stand under ...this must CHANGE - we need to vote for principled MPs who have the guts to stand apart from their party leaders on certain issues if need me. We do not anymore desire 'SILENT' totally 'obedient' to their party leader MPs who just repeat their parties' stance on position whenever asked - do they have no PERSONAL opinions or different reasons for coming to any decision.
Many MPs also do not have a Website or FB page where they express their own views ...
REFORMS yes...MPs need to STAND UP and speak for the people - they must know issues and reasons. They must also write and issue statements...not just hand out monies...wave and smile when they attend functions ...
In a twist, DAP says will propose Dr M to be PM once more
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24 — DAP’s Lim Guan Eng said his party will
nominate Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to return as the prime minister when
the Pakatan Harapan presidential council meets tonight.
The DAP secretary-general asserted to a press conference at his
party’s headquarters here that Dr Mahathir resigned as both the PM and
Bersatu chairman to protest the attempt to form a new government with
Opposition parties.
Lim said Dr Mahathir did not wish to work with Umno, unlike sections of Bersatu and a rogue faction in PKR.
“This consistency and principled stand in rejecting a corrupt Umno should be supported by all Malaysians.
“DAP intends to propose to the PH presidential council at its
emergency meeting tonight, to continue to nominate Tun Dr Mahathir to
continue as prime minister of Malaysia, to fulfil and deliver the
promises in the PH general-election manifesto,” he said.
Separately, PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said Dr Mahathir
told him that the latter was not involved in the alleged plot for a new
coalition government sans PKR, DAP and Amanah.
“In objecting to this nefarious attempt to subvert and undermine the
people’s mandate given to PH, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had submitted his
resignation as prime minister and PPBM chairman.
“I had seen Tun this morning in his residence and was surprised when
he informed me of his intention to resign. I wish to confirm The Edge
headline ‘Dr M quits as he does not want to work with Umno’. Tun Dr
Mahathir clearly stated that he cannot work with Umno when we worked so
hard to reject Umno successfully in the 2018 general elections,” Lim
added.
He said that DAP lauded Dr Mahathir’s principled position in refusing
to work with Umno, whose leaders he said are “involved in corrupt
practices and misrule causing Malaysia to be labelled as a global
kleptocracy at its worst”.
“This is the first time that a Malaysian prime minister is prepared
to resign on principle to uphold integrity and combat corruption,” he
added.
Dr Mahathir resigned unexpectedly today following a Sunday filled
with intense speculation that Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia would form a
coalition government with major Opposition parties.
He also withdrew as the chairman of Bersatu and will lead several leaders in quitting the party, his aides told Malay Mail.
Earlier today, PKR also sacked Datuk Seri Azmin Ali and Zuraida Kamaruddin for betraying the party. - Malay Mail, 24/2/2020.
Amanah wants Dr M as PM even after his resignation
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24 — Parti Amanah Negara threw its full support
behind Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to remain as prime minister even after
his resignation from the post earlier today.
Amanah president Mohamad Sabu said his party is still firmly with Dr
Mahathir and with the Pakatan Harapan coalition amid intense speculation
of a new alliance being formed to be government.
“Parti Amanah Negara wishes to stress our position that we voice full
support towards YBhg Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as the Prime Minister of
Malaysia and to continue leading Pakatan Harapan,” he said in a brief
statement about an hour after the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed Dr
Mahathir’s resignation letter to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
Mohamad’s statement also comes after Dr Mahathir’s party Parti
Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) announced that it had decided yesterday
to pull out of the PH coalition. - Malay Mail, 24/2/2020
Pakatan confirms naming Anwar to be PM
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 26 — Pakatan Harapan (PH) said its lawmakers
proposed PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the next prime
minister when they met the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
In a statement, the three-party coalition said it had sought to bring
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad back and invited him to chair its presidential
council meeting after the intrigue erupted.
However, PH said he declined to attend.
“As such, the presidential council resolved yesterday that Pakatan
Harapan’s prime minister candidate is Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim,” the
coalition said.
The coalition had delayed the release of the statement to allow
interim PM Dr Mahathir to address the nation via live telecast, during
which he asked for the chance to lead a non-partisan government.
Asked if PH had sufficient numbers to form government, Anwar said
such matters were not subject to the final decision of the Yang
di-Pertuan Agong.
He added that it was premature to talk about numbers, pointing out
official announcements concerning the next prime minister is now the
prerogative of the King.
“On the issue of numbers, we have not surrendered and left it to the discretion of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
“It is completely improper, impolite to discuss that question because only the Agong is privy to that matter,” Anwar said.
Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah took an
unprecedented move for an Agong yesterday to personally interview each
MP to establish which candidate commands the confidence of the Dewan
Rakyat.
The one-on-one interviews started yesterday and continued today, but it is unclear if the process is concluded. - Malay Mail, 26/2/2020
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