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PETALING JAYA: Political scientist and social activist Chandra Muzaffar has questioned the wisdom of seeking a vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin at a time when the nation is fighting the Covid-19 virus.
Speaking to FMT, he said the nation should focus on managing the interrelated health and economic crises caused by the epidemic.
He acknowledged that the question of whether Muhyiddin had the support of the lower house was something that needed to be resolved, but said he could wait.
A possible result of the vote is the dissolution of Parliament and the calling of new elections.
If that happened, Chandra said, the financial cost would be enormous.
“It is estimated that the process, for parliamentary seats only, would cost RM800 million. Given the economic crisis and all the expenses that have arisen due to the health crisis, can we afford such a large expense? He asked.
He also spoke about the health risks posed by crowds attending campaign activities, questioning whether political parties and potential voters could observe social distancing.
If the vote does not result in the dissolution of Parliament, he added, MPs could get involved in the political horse trade to see Pakatan Harapan (PH) retake Putrajaya.
He said this would cause the government administration to be dysfunctional and warned of its effect on the “good programs” launched by Putrajaya to help people.
“All of that will change dramatically because you will have a different government.”
Chandra argued that the Perikatan Nasional government was ethically wrong in the way it came to power.
However, he said, overthrowing him in the midst of a global crisis would have serious consequences.
“That is why I would prefer that Muhyiddin and his team, including public officials in critical roles, such as the chief health officer, be given full freedom and support to continue doing what they are doing.”
Dewan Rakyat President Mohamad Ariff, MD Yusof, accepted former Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad’s proposal for the mistrust motion, saying it was in line with Standing Order 27 (3).
However, the motion is unlikely to emerge during the Dewan Rakyat single-day session on May 18.
Under a standing house order, government business takes priority over bills and motions of private members and all other matters.
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