Who is the lesser of the two evils, Anwar or Muhyiddin?
This is the doctrine of the lesser of the two evils. Muhyiddin may be evil, but Anwar is a bigger evil. Hence it is better to have Muhyiddin, the lesser evil, as PM, rather than Anwar, the bigger evil, as PM. And that is why the backdoor no-confidence motion (by sabotaging Budget 2021) is not going to happen since it means Malaysia would be cursed with Anwar as PM9.
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin
When the Soviet Air Force shot down Korean Air Lines passenger plane Flight 007 (also known as KAL007 and KE007) on 1st September 1983, Russia did not offer any explanation. They just kept quiet.
When the press asked them why they do not say something, explain what happened, Russia replied that the world has a memory of just 100 days. After 100 days, something else will crop up to make people forget about KAL007.
True enough, by the first anniversary of the shooting down of KAL007, the world had totally forgotten and only the family members assembled to commemorate the KAL007 tragedy. For that matter, can you remember when MH370 and MH17 happened? In fact, can any of you remember MH653? I bet 90% of you do not even know what MH653 is!
That is why we always talk about the first 100 days. First 100 days of the Prime Minister in office. First 100 days of the President in office. And so on. Either you make it in the first 100 days or else, after that, it is no longer important to talk about it.
It’s all a matter of choosing the lesser of the evils
Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s 100 days ended on Tuesday, 9th June 2020. Today is already 247 days of his term in office.
If Muhyiddin is really a backdoor Prime Minister and if Perikatan Nasional is really an illegal government and if Anwar Ibrahim really “has the numbers” and is going to use his majority in Parliament to oust Muhyiddin, topple Perikatan, and take over as PM9, it should have been done in that first 100 days — meaning by or before 9th June 2020. If by 250 days it still cannot be done, then it is never going to be done.
There is such a thing called a window of opportunity. That window opens and by a certain time it closes again, for whatever reason it may be. Windows of opportunity do not remain open forever. And that window when it may have been possible to oust Muhyiddin and topple Perikatan and for Anwar to take over as PM9 has already closed.
The man who cried wolf too many times
We must remember, this is the third “I have the numbers” gambit from Anwar. As the fable goes, you can cry wolf only twice. The third time you cry wolf, people no longer take any notice of you…even if this third time there really is a wolf.
Hence Anwar’s third “I have the numbers” gambit is being treated as a mere cry wolf attention-seeking exercise to con himself and his minions into thinking he is still important to Malaysian politics.
People will give you attention within the first 100 days. After that, if nothing new happens, people will move on. People do not wish to labour on that same “no new story” issue for 300 days or 400 days.
After 100 days, people are beginning to change their minds about Muhyiddin
Anwar wants to keep the fire burning. But he really has no new fuel to add to that fire to be able to keep it burning. So, he keeps throwing rubbish into the fire. Like that, how would he be able to keep the fire burning? Fire needs fuel and Anwar does not have any.
Anwar’s hope is that this new “fuel” is going to be Budget 2021, now called “Unity Budget 2021” by Pakatan Harapan. Anwar wants to sabotage Budget 2021 as a means for a backdoor vote of no confidence against Muhyiddin.
Anwar thinks if Budget 2021 is defeated, then Muhyiddin will have to resign and Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong will summon him (Anwar) to Istana Negara to get sworn in as PM9.
Is it that simple? Just get 120 or 130 MPs (or even just 112 MPs) to vote against Budget 2021 and, presto, Muhyiddin is out and Anwar is in?
Okay, maybe 120 or 130 MPs (or maybe even just 112 MPs) are against Muhyiddin for whatever reason (mainly because they feel if Muhyiddin is out then they are in). However, while these 120 or 130 MPs (or maybe even just 112 MPs) may be prepared to vote against Muhyiddin, that does not mean they are prepared to vote against Muhyiddin so that Anwar can take over as PM9.
The point is this. Even if 120 or 130 MPs (or maybe even just 112 MPs) are against Muhyiddin, this does not mean they are for Anwar. Hence, if the choice is between keeping Muhyiddin as PM8, or ousting Muhyiddin and let Anwar take over as PM9, they would rather keep Muhyiddin as PM8.
This is the doctrine of the lesser of the two evils. Muhyiddin may be evil, but Anwar is a bigger evil. Hence it is better to have Muhyiddin, the lesser evil, as PM, rather than Anwar, the bigger evil, as PM. And that is why the backdoor no-confidence motion (by sabotaging Budget 2021) is not going to happen since it means Malaysia would be cursed with Anwar as PM9.
