Vote of no confidence – who will bell the cat?
“It is in the handphones of many MPs but, the majority of them have yet to be formally notified of the proposed effort and what it entails”
Ian McIntyre, The Heat Online
There is a plot to move the motion of no confidence against the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in Parliament and it is buried in the handphones of all the MPs, but that is that, says the Opposition.
Former PAS vice-president and former MP Salahuddin Ayub says all the 150 MPs have yet to be engaged completely on it or been told its details.
“It is in the handphones of many MPs but, the majority of them have yet to be formally notified of the proposed effort and what it entails,” says Salahuddin.
And just like in the case of getting the mouse that will bell the cat, nobody can fathom who will take the lead. It is, however, strongly believed to be the brainchild of Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, a former Umno vice-president.
Ku Li (as Tengku is known) is famed for being the only person who dared to take on former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad for the president’s post in Umno in 1987. However, Ku Li failed to remove Mahathir.
Recently, Ku Li has reportedly said the MPs should not only toe along party lines but act with a greater conscience on behalf of the electorate who have voted them in.
Will the parliamentarians buy into it and will it cause unrest within the much-mangled political system in the country?
Yes, if going by the remarks of Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who has described the proposal as a “coup to overthrow a democratically elected government”.
Barisan Nasional has 134 MPs with Umno (88), PBB (14), MCA (7), PRS (6), MIC (4), PBS (4), SPDP (4), Upko (3), Gerakan (2), PBRS (1) and SUPP (1).
The Opposition DAP has 37 MPs, PKR (28), PAS (22), PSM (1) and TERAS (1). There is also one Independent.
To pass the motion, the proposer and seconder will need just more than half of the 222 elected representatives’ votes.
Parit Buntar MP Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusuf Rawa on the other hand says Ahmad Zahid has gotten it totally wrong.
Mujahid says the people elected MPs to perform and they are just executing their duties to remove a scandal-ridden leader who has continuously failed the people on many counts.
“It is not a coup but a democratic exercise by MPs of their right as the people’s representatives to address leadership issues in the country. The MPs are just doing what the people are demanding,” he says.
Mujahid says the Parliament must be restored to its rightful role in nation building by becoming a credible watchdog and not just a place to “rubber stamp” legislations.
This October, the eyes of the nation will be turned to Parliament when the quarterly sitting of the 222-member of the Dewan Rakyat commences.
