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YOUR OPINION | “For now, it is better to keep a weak Bersatu at the head of the PN government, rather than Umno.”
The 2021 budget passes the final stage in Dewan Rakyat with a majority of three votes
Fernando: Many of us are really relieved that Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin survived, barely.
Why? If Muhyiddin were forced to resign, we are not sure that PKR President Anwar Ibrahim will be the winner.
Umno can seize the opportunity to take over the government through possible groupings like Dr. Mahathir Mohamad / Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, or Hishammuddin Hussein / Azmin Ali with the majority of Bersatu MPs, or Najib Abdul Razak / Ahmad Zahid Hamidi with PAS and GPS. Don’t forget the palace too.
Therefore, it is better to keep a weak Bersatu at the head of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government, rather than Umno. Once Umno takes over as prime minister, it would be difficult for Pakatan Harapan to win the next general election.
It is sad that the opposition had to use the 2021 Budget vote as a no-confidence vote test against the PN government.
Nobody bothered to study the budget proposals, which suck. It was a unilateral allocation of funds mainly to the main supporters of PN, leaving aside fair allocations for other careers and also for SMEs (small and medium enterprises).
SMEs, which are important to the well-being of the country’s economy, employed 65.5 percent of the workforce in 2015. The percentage could be higher in 2020. But they were ignored. Why? Your guest is as good as mine.
This was all because the Speaker of Parliament, acting on behalf of the PN government, especially Muhyiddin, did not have the guts to allow a vote of no confidence in the House earlier.
If this were done, the budget debate would be more meaningful and amendments could be made for the good of the nation, without fear of the government being overthrown.
Mazilamani: Despite all the uproar from the opposition, particularly Mahathir and Anwar Ibrahim, it all faded on the third reading, effectively silencing Muhyiddin’s detractors.
The time has come for the troubled prime minister to begin charting his own political course.
The first thing you need to do is distance yourself from scheming advisers and certain ministers.
Maybe even a cabinet shakeup. You cannot afford to be surrounded by traitors who are likely associated with and represent the interests of third parties.
Muhyiddin is obliged to show the rakyat that he has a clear mission and vision for the country. The prime minister must now break the divisive policies that are damaging the unity of the people.
We must appreciate and respect God’s design and purpose to unite with all. As such, he should be the prime minister of all Malaysians. Heal the growing division and mistrust.
Constitutional Supremacy: Passing the budget is an advantage for Muhyiddin and shows his maneuvering skills.
On the other hand, we have an untrustworthy person in Anwar, who meets everyone including Zahid, Muhyiddin, Nazri Abdul Aziz, Shafie Apdal, etc., to close deals.
He and his party were the main cause of destabilization of Harapan before the March 2020 coup with daily attacks on Mahathir. After his initial failures, he refused to comply with DAP and Amanah’s request to allow Mahathir to obtain the numbers necessary to win back the government, then went from one failure to another.
Harapan definitely needs to change his leadership and form a coalition with other opposition parties. Anwar could not muster a vote from Umno. Previously, he had claimed that there was support from 30 Umno MPs.
If Harapan goes to the next election under Anwar, be prepared for the consequences.
WhiteKnight7895: Well, it’s time for Anwar to step down as leader of the opposition, as well as the leadership of the PKR, and let Rafizi Ramli and Nurul Izzah Anwar save the party and find formidable coalition partners to win GE15.
It is also fitting that DAP bid farewell to the Lims (Kit Siang and Guan Eng) and let Anthony Loke or Gobind Singh Deo take the lead.
But refrain from compromising with Mahathir and Razaleigh.
PurpleJaguar0553: I agree. Anwar has failed again for the third time. Surely, it must be time to end the day. GE14 was won because we wanted a change, a change led not by Anwar but by his enemy, Mahathir.
Anwar is reportedly leading the charge in the Budget 2021 vote, but once again he hasn’t shown he has the numbers, much less a formidable and convincing majority.
His flirtations with Umno have led to disaster, damaged his reputation, and cast doubt on his leadership. It’s time for a new leader to lead the pack.
One that will hopefully not generate false hopes of change and make dubious cries of a majority, and one that should have the ability to choose trustworthy friends.
Hood: What happened to Umno’s demands for easy withdrawals from the Employee Provident Fund (EPF) and extension of the loan moratorium?
What happened to the loud and endless trumpeting of these demands supposedly to aid the rakyat in this current time of urgent need?
Harapan and Anwar have come together and been consistent with these demands throughout the budget process.
The final budget vote has shown that Muhyiddin does not have a simple majority of 112. This back door government is unstable and shaky and therefore unfit to rule.
We deserve a stable and strong government. It is time for Harapan and Anwar to work harder and smarter to reclaim the rule of the people, less traitors like Mahathir and Shafie.
IndigoHamster4797: I don’t agree with you @Capo that Muhyiddin doesn’t have a simple majority. With two deaths among MPs recently, the total number of MPs is 220, making 111 a simple majority.
I am as disappointed as many with the result. I see that the opposition needs to be more deliberate, united and have a proper executable plan to win at Dewan Rakyat. They are not ad-hoc negotiations behind the scenes.
Instead of pushing the edges (Jasa budget RM 85 million, etc.), Harapan should have taken the RM 322 billion from the 2021 Budget as a reference and proposed a coherent alternative budget for the country.
Now, we return to the drawing board on how to win the 15th general election.
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