Pandikar walks a thin line
If he fails to secure those reforms, he will have to contend with the scorn of the rakyat, who are firmly behind Mahathir, and Mahathir himself, who is unlikely to forget the humiliation.
Scott Ng, Free Malaysia Today
Ah, Pandikar Amin. Now there’s a name I thought I’d never have reason to write about, but here we are. The latest twists in the extensive Najib vs Mahathir saga involves the Speaker of the lower house coming out to deny that he wanted to resign – which had been announced just hours before by Mahathir – and then, after essentially being called a liar by Mahathir, reversing that denial.
Mahathir is a veteran of these political games, and we must assume that he was absolutely sure that Pandikar was going to resign before giving his statement. So he must have been rather taken aback by the denial.
The Speaker went a step further by endorsing Najib, saying that the Prime Minister talked him out of resigning by promising reforms in Parliament, amongst other things.
This comes as a blow to Mahathir’s credibility, especially among Umno members, and the good doctor always remembers his debts. To have Pandikar humiliate him further by stating that the former PM “embarrassed himself by breaching confidentiality” must have made Mahathir’s blood boil, and Mahathir being who he is, will definitely save Pandikar’s name on a special page in his black book.
But the real subject of this story is not Mahathir, but Pandikar Amin. He claimed that he wanted to resign because he felt the Speaker was perceived as a tool working under the orders of the executive branch of government – a reasonable complaint, surely. He was convinced by Najib to retract his resignation by the promise that the Prime Minister would speak to the Cabinet about the reforms he proposed, including the removal of the minister in charge of Parliament, the establishment of the select committee system, and for the Parliament building to be upgraded to match the snazzy government buildings in Putrajaya.
According to Pandikar, Najib informed him that the Cabinet had discussed his proposals, and the Deputy Prime Minister would be overseeing the implementation of the changes agreed on. If this is true, then more power to Pandikar, as some of these reforms have been a long time coming. However, given the Najib administration’s record thus far with reforms, excuse us if we don’t hold our breath in anticipation.
