Where’s the shadow PM?
By TAY TIAN YAN, Sin Chew Daily
Ku Li appears to have a very unusual role to play in every drama. He should have a part to play in the anti-Najib theater, or some would even say he has great potentials for the lead role, which unfortunately he missed on several occasions during Mahathir’s time.
But this time, at least during the first half, he was obviously absent, and this does not augur well for the anti-Najib campaign that urgently needs a “prime minister” candidate.
What I was trying to say was that among the Umno 3M’s (Mahathir, Muhyiddin and Mukhriz), DAP, PKR, Amanah, and Bersih, indeed both the organization and target have been clearly present. The only thing still lacking is a leader, a shadow PM.
What if Najib is eventually ousted? Who is going to be the new PM?
Mahathir’s age may not be problem even though he is already 91. But he is simply too witty and powerful, and the opposition and Bersih might not feel comfortable putting him on the PM’s seat for fear he would once again recruit his erstwhile cronies and rule autocratically.
Muhyiddin is hardly reliable. While he wants to bring down Najib, his heart is still very much with Umno. He has advocated a new PM from Umno itself, which the opposition might find unacceptable. They have exhausted their energies and resources to topple an Umno PM just to usher in another PM from the party.
Anwar Ibrahim is an impractical choice, being locked up in a cell. Moreover, both Mahathir and Muhyiddin are wary of an Anwar comeback which to them could be as bad a headache as Najib.
Mukhriz is too inexperienced and is at best a secondliner. Azmin is not yet ready for the post, nor will his own party trust him completely. As for the Lims, that is absolutely out of question.
If suddenly Najib really gets ousted, that is the time the real headache will start. And this anti-Najib campaign will no doubt lose much of its luster if even a shadow PM cannot be produced, difficult to strike a chord with the general public in particular the mainstream Malay society which prefers to sit on the fence and watch before jumping into action, although no one can rule out the possibility they will not go against the PM.
Even if the Malay society is unhappy with Najib, they must make sure they have a new leader who will protect their interests and status. As the politically dominant community in the country, they are unlikely to venture way too far and take risks by supporting a grouping that couldn’t even come up with a shadow PM.
By right Ku Li should have made a perfect choice under such circumstances. Didn’t he play such an expedient role in the past?
But, Ku Li not only has shied away from the anti-Najib movement, he has even signed the Kelantan Declaration in support of PM Najib. As for why he signed the declaration, it might not be because he was trying to protect Najib or being humble, but probably because he sensed that it was downright impossible to take Najib out of office. Instead of risking himself, he chose to distance himself from the dissidents.
Unable to get Ku Li to join him, Mahathir could only say “this is not the first time Ku Li has betrayed me.”
Ku Li has declared that he is too old to to be the PM. We have no idea whether it is because of age or that the timing is not right.
