The unanimous rejection by the opposition bloc of 105 MPs of Prime Minister Mahiaddin Md Yasin’s offer of several “institutional reforms” long sought by the opposition in exchange for support in Parliament to remain as Prime Minister, is not only about his sincerity, manner and circumstances. It is also about the timing surrounding the offer made by a Prime Minister who has lost his political legitimacy and parliamentary majority to resort to any means possible to remain in power.
How can it be tenable for a government that has failed miserably to manage the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent economic recession until Malaysia is increasingly seen to be a failed state, to be asked to be given a second chance? As Albert Einstein was attributed to have said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”.
For those initially attracted by the promised reforms, they cannot be faulted for relying on the common refrain of “The end justifies the means”, regardless of who initiates them. They are not wrong in their idealistic pursuit of institutional reforms. However, we are dealing with a Prime Minister who has a history of doing the opposite where “the end justifies the means”, in this case to remain as Prime Minister at all cost.
Institutional reform is not political expediency, there must be genuine commitment and even sacrifice, then only can we bring forth meaningful progress. Based on the Prime Minister’s record of political treachery and the composition of his conservative Cabinet that is consistently opposed to reforms of any kind, there is genuine scepticism whether he will deliver his promised reforms when it is clearly a gambit for power or stratagem for survival.
Even though many expect Prime Minister Mahiaddin Md Yasin has no choice but to resign, giving rise to a possibility that Parliament will be dissolved, DAP opposes general elections due to the record number of COVID-19 infections and a death toll swiftly approaching 12,000. DAP reiterates our commitment towards saving lives and livelihood by focusing on battling the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for a smooth and swift National Immunisation Programme(PICK) to achieve herd immunity by inoculation and not infection, and direct financial aid to pull the economy out of the recession.
DAP is clear on our choice of who should be the next Prime Minister in accordance with PH’s mandate. No one person is entitled to be Prime Minister but qualification must be based on potential capability and capacity to overcome the covid-19 pandemic, economic recession and commitment to institutional reforms to normalize Malaysia as an emerging developed nation.
In other words, the national obsession should not be on who is Prime Minister but what COVID-19 Reset Plan to correct the failures of the current government and an economic normalisation plan to put Malaysia back on track as well demonstrating that we can do more on institutional reforms than what Mahiaddin has offered.