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COMMENTARY The | Dewan Rakyat’s speaker, Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof, did the right thing by dismissing Sabah’s Prime Minister Shafie Apdal’s motion of confidence in Dr. Mahathir Mohamad to establish the fact that he ordered majority support in Parliament. The intention was good but the procedure was wrong. It was like putting the cart in front of the horse.
On the other hand, Mahathir’s motion of distrust of Muhyiddin Yassin is the right approach to determine if Muhyiddin enjoys majority support in Parliament to continue serving as the eighth Prime Minister of Malaysia. This should be the first item on the agenda on May 18 when Parliament meets. It is important and crucial to confirm that Muhyiddin is in fact the country’s prime minister.
If Muhyiddin’s position is not confirmed, then everything he has done and will continue to do will not be legitimate. Parliament’s seal of approval is the litmus test for Muhyiddin to affirm that he has majority support to stay and continue as prime minister.
But, will this test be allowed to eliminate all the doubts and suspicions that are looking at us?
The trick that can be resorted to is lobbying for all government companies to take precedence and therefore using all available time and ending the parliamentary session without putting Mahathir’s motion to a vote. This would not be acceptable. This will literally take Parliament for a walk.
They can also file a motion to appoint a new Speaker of the House to take care of them to ensure that Mahathir’s motion will not see the light of day. The new speaker will either dismiss it entirely or delay it by placing the motion at the bottom of the Order Document. Parliament will be so administered that government companies will continue, thus denying any time to debate Mahathir’s motion.
Be that as it may, the Malays must defend our Parliament and ensure that they do not mock it. Parliamentary procedure must not be desecrated!
MPs screaming for a two-week parliamentary session will likely fall on deaf ears. They alone cannot save our Parliament. Only we can, when we act collectively with determination and conviction.
How do we do it?
Online request
Aliran has launched a online petition asking for a two week session. So far, this campaign has exceeded 50,000 signatures. In fact, it is happening inexorably, now it has exceeded 59,000.
Let me urge all of Malaysia’s comrades to be part of this effort to bring the weight of the nation to this back door government. Numbers have a way of driving home a truth that cannot be ignored.
Let’s take a serious part in this effort by signing this petition. We convince all our friends and family to sign it too.
Ultimately, it is the political parties that can make a difference. They have the numbers, they have the mobilization machinery, and they have the means and the ability to call each member to sign this petition. These political parties have an obligation and a responsibility to bring their members together to support and support this petition.
With the full commitment of the political parties, if they are sincere in wanting and respecting our parliamentary democracy, within several days we should reach a million, perhaps even more! Will they face this challenge?
All political parties, PKR, Bersatu, Amanah, Warisan and DAP (and also those in government) have a duty and an important role to play in this campaign. At the end of the day, we will know how well the battle fought and how serious it was in defending our freedom and defending our parliamentary democracy.
Doubling history
Every signature counts. For those of you who may ask what my firm can accomplish, let me tell you that great things are accomplished collectively when we act together. Robert Kennedy expressed it so eloquently in a message of hope:
“Few will have the greatness to bend the story itself, but each of us can work to change a small portion of the events, and in the total of all those acts the history of this generation will be written.
“It is from innumerable diverse acts of courage and belief that human history has a form.
“Every time a man defends an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or attacks against injustice, he sends a small wave of hope, and they cross a million different centers of energy and daring, those waves they build a current that can sweep away the most powerful walls of oppression and resistance. “
The future of Malaysia is in your hands. You can read more about the campaign and sign the petition. here.
P RAMAKRISHNAN is a former President of Aliran.
The views expressed here are those of the author / contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
