Pi Mai Pi Mai Tang Tu: Muhyiddin will be PM9 to replace PM8
Hence, Muhyiddin will have to be sworn in as PM9 to succeed PM8. As the Malays would say, Pi Mai Pi Mai Tang Tu. That would give Muhyiddin even more legitimacy since after resigning as PM8 he gets sworn back in as PM9 because he has the largest numbers behind him, whether the majority or the largest minority.
THE CORRIDORS OF POWER
Raja Petra Kamarudin
In a few more hours, the Conference of Rulers will be meeting to discuss whether to agree to Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s request for a state of emergency to be declared.
Actually, this matter can be solely decided by His Majesty Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong. However, His Majesty chose for the nine state Rulers (Pahang would be represented by the Pemangku Sultan) to discuss this matter before a decision is made.
The Conference of Rulers will be meeting in the next few hours to decide what to do
So, what is going to happen?
Well, the Conference of Rulers will either say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ for a state of emergency to be declared.
If ‘yes’, then a state of emergency would be declared in Malaysia and for the next six months Parliament would be suspended. If after six months the crisis is still not over, it can be extended another six months until Malaysia is in safe waters again.
If ‘no’, then what next?
If ‘no’ then status quo will be maintained and next month Parliament will sit and the backdoor vote-of-no-confidence by sabotaging Budget 2021 will be on as planned.
Currently, it appears that Anwar Ibrahim, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and those others from Umno and Pakatan Harapan will not win their vote of no confidence. So Muhyiddin is quite safe.
Muhyiddin still commands the confidence of the majority of the House
Even if Muhyiddin’s numbers drop from the 113 that he currently controls — to, say, just 110 — no other candidate will have more than that. Muhyiddin needed 112 to get into office. But he does not need 112 to stay in office. He just needs the majority of MPs who happen to be in the House at the time the vote is taken.
Anwar has 92 MPs with him. Dr Mahathir has four. Tengku Razaleigh has just two. So, even with just 110 votes, Muhyiddin still commands the confidence of the majority of the House. And, according to the Federal Constitution of Malaysia, that means Muhyiddin remains as Prime Minister.
So, the anti-Muhyiddin group cannot oust Muhyiddin mainly because five or six of them are fighting over who should become PM9. And, since they cannot agree on who should be PM9, then PM8 will stay in office.
However, say the backdoor vote of no confidence succeeds and Budget 2021 is sabotaged. What next?
Well, then Muhyiddin can be said to have lost the confidence of the majority of the House and will need to meet His Majesty the Agong to either resign or request that Parliament be dissolved to make way for GE15.
The figure is expected to touch more than 4,000 cases a day within the next three weeks
The Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic is getting more serious by the day. Today, it was more than 1,200 new cases. More than 11,000 police personnel are under quarantine and within the next three weeks the number of Covid-19 cases are expected to touch more than 4,000 a day.
Hence holding a general election is out of the question.
The other and more logical alternative would be for Muhyiddin to resign and for the Agong to swear in a new Prime Minister or PM9. But first His Majesty needs to establish who commands the confidence of the majority of the House.
Of the many candidates for Prime Minister — which are about six or seven to date — Muhyiddin still has the largest minority even if he does not have the majority. This is because Muhyiddin has half the cake while the other half is divided into many pieces.
Hence, Muhyiddin will have to be sworn is as PM9 to succeed PM8. As the Malays would say, Pi Mai Pi Mai Tang Tu. That would give Muhyiddin even more legitimacy since after resigning as PM8 he gets sworn back in as PM9 because he has the largest numbers behind him, whether the majority or the largest minority.
