KOTA KINABALU: Some Sabah residents who are set to vote in the state elections were surprised by the claims of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim that he has a parliamentary majority to form a new Malaysian federal government, but they maintained that they will cast their votes based on local issues.
On Wednesday, Mr Anwar announced that he has garnered a "strong, formidable, convincing majority" of Members of Parliament (MPs) to overthrow the current government led by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.
Mr Muhyiddin has since said that Mr Anwar needs to prove that he has enough support to form a new government, while stating that he remains the "legal prime minister" of the country.
The tussle for federal power comes as the campaigning for the Sabah state election is reaching its final days, before voters in the Borneo state head to the polls on Saturday (Sep 26).
The frontrunners for the hotly contested election are the Warisan Plus coalition and the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition.
Polling for Sabah state election falls on Sep 26, 2020. (Photo: Bernama)
The incumbent Warisan Plus coalition comprises of Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan), fellow state-based United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO) as well as Pakatan Harapan (PH) national parties Democratic Action Party (DAP), Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah).
Meanwhile, state opposition alliance GRS consists of Perikatan Nasional (PN), Barisan Nasional (BN) and other state-based parties such as Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) and Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR).
Mr Danny Estermit, a resident at Api-Api constituency where PKR candidate Chistina Liew is the incumbent, told CNA that Mr Anwar’s announcement came as a shock to him, but it would not change his mind on how he will vote on Saturday.
“I think we were all surprised when Anwar announced out of the blue that he now has enough seats to overthrow Muhyiddin. But for Saturday, I am focused on picking a state representative, someone to address concerns on the ground. I am not too concerned with federal matters,” he said.
Mr Estermit added that there was uncertainty as to whether Warisan would support Mr Anwar’s bid, so it was best to wait and see what happens after the state election.
“Datuk Seri Shafie has not said outright if he is behind Anwar or does he support Muhyiddin as PM, so we'd rather not speculate for now,” added the 27-year-old.
Warisan leader Shafie Apdal speaking at an event with youths near Kota Kinabalu. (Photo: Parti Warisan Sabah)
Mr Shafie Apdal, the leader of the Warisan Plus coalition and incumbent chief minister of Sabah, was tight-lipped when asked to comment on whether he supported Mr Anwar.
Speaking to reporters after meeting with youths in Likas on Thursday morning, Mr Shafie said: “I don’t want to respond (to Anwar’s claim). I am very focused on the state election. We have just one or two days to go. I am here to win an election in Sabah.”
“We want support for Warisan in Sabah,” he added.
"FOCUS ON US"
One of those who attended the event, Mr Rozali Johar, a 21-year-old Likas resident who will be voting for the first time, told CNA that he was pleasantly surprised by Mr Anwar’s claim as he believed that the PH government is the rightful coalition to lead Malaysia, as determined by the people during the 2018 general election.
Mr Rozali said: “I was excited when I saw Anwar saying he has enough MPs to overthrow Muhyiddin’s government. The people chose PH (in 2018) so PH should be restored.”
He was also hopeful that Mr Shafie would back Mr Anwar publicly, maybe after the state election is over.
“But for Saturday, I will vote Warisan, because of what the party represents and how it is keen to help youths and address environmental and employment issues,” Mr Rozali added.
Meanwhile, an UMNO supporter in Sulaman, Mr Tokimin Hazziq noted that Mr Anwar had made similar takeover attempts twice, and had failed both times.
“I don’t really listen to what Anwar says, he has said all this before and it never amounted to anything,” said Mr Tokimin.
The 54-year-old acknowledged that he was also shocked when UMNO president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said on Wednesday that many UMNO and BN MPs have stated their support for Mr Anwar to form a new government.
“That’s strange because none of them have admitted (this) publicly. I would not take what Anwar said seriously because it’s not clear who is (backing) him.
“Even Warisan or Mahathir's party has not said they support him. It is confusing though but for Saturday, let’s ignore peninsular politics and focus on us,” he added.
Former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad and his allies that were removed from Mr Muhyiddin's Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia have announced the formation of a new party called Parti Pejuang Tanah Air.
"I AM STILL STANDING HERE AS PRIME MINISTER"
Mr Muhyiddin was also in Sabah to campaign on behalf of GRS candidates. On Wednesday night, he gave a speech in Luyang to a few hundred residents, where he stressed that Malaysia adopts a parliamentary democratic system that is based on the country’s Constitution.
Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin speaking to Sabah residents on Sep 23, 2020. (Photo: Prime Minister's Office)
“I am still standing here as the prime minister … Every single Malaysian, regardless of their background, is important for me. Because I care for all of you,” he said.
He arrived in Sabah hours after announcing that the federal government would be providing financial aid worth RM10 billion (US$2.4 billion) to further help Malaysians get through the COVID-19 pandemic, under the “Kita Prihatin” scheme.
Political lecturer with Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Dr Romzi Ationg said the announcement could be a “game changer” for Sabah state election as many voters were looking for any help to tide them through financial difficulties.
On the other hand, he said that Mr Anwar’s claims on a federal parliamentary majority could encourage voters who were sitting on the fence to support Warisan Plus, as the coalition could be part of the federal government in the near future.
“The prospect of Warisan being a key component of both the state and federal government could be encouraging, while supporting GRS for the purpose of having a federal and state government in sync could be seen as irrelevant now,” said Dr Romzi.
The monarch, known as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, plans to hold an audience with Datuk Seri Anwar soon to give him the opportunity to prove his assertion, after postponing a Tuesday (Sept 22) meeting for health reasons. There is no exact time set yet.
Here are a few ways the King could decide to resolve the impasse:
CALL AN ELECTION
The King has the power to dissolve Parliament, after which an election must be held within 60 days.
Lawmakers from the ruling and opposition coalitions have called for snap polls to resolve the political uncertainty once and for all, as Tan Sri Muhyiddin was sworn into office in March after the collapse of a government that took power after a 2018 election.
Mr Muhyiddin could also call an election, which he earlier said he might do if his coalition wins the Sabah statewide polls this Saturday.
SEEK CONFIDENCE VOTE
The monarch could request the Speaker of the Lower House to bring forward the next Parliament sitting, currently set for Nov 2, to hold a confidence vote sooner.
The opposition has been planning to challenge Mr Muhyiddin's support in Parliament for months, but the Speaker has repeatedly placed the motion at the bottom of the agenda.
In July, the Prime Minister proved he held a slim majority in Parliament when he replaced the Speaker.
APPOINT PRIME MINISTER
After former leader Mahathir Mohamad abruptly resigned in February, the King spent days speaking to each lawmaker to find out who they support, which led to Mr Muhyiddin's appointment.
This time, there is no leadership vacuum, so the monarch may need to urge the current premier to step down if Mr Anwar has the backing of a majority of lawmakers in Parliament.
KUALA LUMPUR: UMNO president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said on Wednesday (Sep 23) he received information that many UMNO and Barisan Nasional (BN) Members of Parliament have stated their support for opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to form a new government.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also BN chairman, said UMNO and BN are not component parties of Perikatan Nasional (PN), so any support for the PN government comes from individual MPs.
“UMNO and BN are not able to stop MPs supporting Anwar from meeting the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to make known his intention," he said in a statement.
“I was told that many UMNO and BN MPs have voiced their support (for Anwar). I respect their decision.”
Anwar had earlier on Wednesday announced that he has garnered a "strong, formidable, convincing majority" of MPs to form a new government.
Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) president and Port Dickson MP claimed that he was supposed to have an audience with the king, but that it was postponed because the king was hospitalised.
Meanwhile, MCA president Wee Ka Siong stressed that the party, together with BN, will continue to support the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.
“In my capacity as MCA president, I wish to stress that our stance is clear and that MCA and BN fully stand by Muhyiddin. Under his leadership, the government has been able to function well and successfully contained the COVID-19 pandemic in the past six months.
"At the same time, we have revived the country's economy during these difficult times as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said in a Facebook post on Wednesday.
Wee likened Anwar’s announcement to sabotaging the country at a time when it is trying to revive its economy.
He added that Anwar is back to using his old tactics, like when he claimed to have the support of 30 MPs and was "headed for Putrajaya on Sep 16, 2008”.
"While speaking to reporters today, he (Anwar) can be seen to avoid touching on the total number of MPs who are with him," said the MCA president.
"As a senior political leader, Anwar should be more responsible, especially when the Sabah state election is taking place. The country's stability is far more important than his ambition to become prime minister."
KUALA LUMPUR: Amid intense campaigning in the final days of the Sabah state polls on Wednesday (Sep 23), it was not the proceedings in East Malaysia that drew public attention.
In Kuala Lumpur, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim declared that he had “strong, convincing” support from the majority of Members of Parliament to form a new government.
He was scheduled to meet the king on Tuesday, but the royal audience was postponed as the king was unwell and had to be hospitalised.
In his press conference, Mr Anwar said the government led by Mr Muhyiddin Yassin has effectively fallen, but the latter dismissed his claim as mere allegation. "Until proven otherwise, the Perikatan Nasional government still stands firm and I am the legal prime minister," said Mr Muhyiddin.
Here are some of the possible scenarios of how Mr Anwar's claim could affect Malaysia’s political scene:
WHAT IS THE LIKELIHOOD OF AN ANWAR PARLIAMENTARY MAJORITY?
Dr Oh Ei Sun, Senior Fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, said this was not the first time Mr Anwar had announced such takeover attempts, noting prior attempts after general elections in 2008 and 2014.
“Anwar is not unknown for all these stunts, so people are still thinking whether this is another ‘cry wolf’ stance. Like Jerry Maguire's ‘show me the money’, people are asking 'show me the majority,'” he said.
Similarly, Professor Dr Ahmad Martadha Mohamed, who heads the Governance and Integrity Cluster at Universti Utara Malaysia’s College of Law, Government and International Studies, pointed out that when Mr Anwar made the announcement, none of his political allies from the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition was present.
His press conference was not attended by allies such as Democractic Action Party (DAP), Parti Amanah Negara and Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan), he said.
"The people beside him were his wife Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, and PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution. It’s more like a political gimmick or stunt, similar to 2014 when he made a similar announcement, but nothing materalised,” Dr Ahmad Martadha said.
HOW WILL ANWAR'S CLAIMS AFFECT SABAH POLLS?
As for Mr Anwar’s announcement affecting the outcome of this Saturday’s state election in Sabah, Dr Oh said if Anwar did possess a majority, it would be better for Warisan president Shafie Apdal to reaffirm his support for Anwar.
“In the ‘kingmaker’ seats, which are mainly Kadazandusun-Murut seats, I think they’re still somewhat undecided between restoring Sabah rights on one hand, and development on the other if you don’t vote in federal parties.”
“So if the federal party is aligned with Shafie and Shafie reaffirms his support for Anwar, then it’s alright, they’ll vote for the Shafie side, either UPKO or Warisan and so on.
"So it depends on Shafie’s decision,” Dr Oh said.
UPKO refers to United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation, a state-based political party in the Warisan Plus coalition.
Polling for Sabah state election falls on Sep 26, 2020. (Photo: Bernama)
Generally for Sabah and Sarawak, Prof Ahmad Martadha said, Mr Anwar’s announcement was not likely to have much impact, as both states generally prioritised the well-being of their own population.
“In Sabah, a lot of people are voting based on local parties and local issues,” the Kedah-based political analyst said, explaining that issues such as illegal immigration into the state had been a hot topic for the past 20 years in Sabah’s politics, along with other issues such as native land titles and infrastructure development.
“Likewise, Sarawak, and GPS (the ruling political coalition Gabungan Parti Sarawak) will play it safe, as they’re now part of the federal government, and have benefited from being in the Perikatan Nasional coalition,” said Prof Ahmad Martadha, referring to ministerial positions held by GPS MPs, as well as oil royalty payouts.
“Unless it is sure that the federal government is losing support, they’ll still consider supporting whoever can ensure their interests are protected,” he added.
WHAT OPTIONS DOES THE KING HAVE?
Both analysts explained that Malaysian King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah has two choices to proceed, if Mr Anwar did indeed demonstrate that he has a convincing majority to form the next government.
Malaysia prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin and opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim. (Photos: Bernama, Reuters/Lim Huey Teng)
“If the king were to grant an audience to Anwar and is convinced of Anwar’s majority and so on, he has two choices. One is to appoint Mr Anwar as prime minister, the way he did with Muhyiddin,” Dr Oh said, referring to the appointment of Mr Muhyiddin as the country's top leader following the fall of PH government early this year.
“Or be like the Sabah governor, and at Muhyiddin’s advice, dissolve parliament and allow for fresh elections,” he added.
WHERE DOES MAHATHIR STAND IN ALL THIS?
The absence of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad and his newly-formed Pejuang party was no surprise, said Prof Ahmad Martadha.
“It’s understandable, because both Tun Dr Mahathir and Anwar have both disparaged each other in the past. The quarrel has been there for a long time, so it’s not a secret that Dr Mahathir is not going along with Anwar’s team,” he said.
Dr Oh said if Mr Anwar did indeed have a large majority, the former premier would have to “face up to reality”.
“He’ll have to, in a sense, decide between his disdain for Anwar becoming prime minister, or his hatred for UMNO and PAS as being corrupt and extremist.”
“In any case, he has only five members, it’s not a lot,” Dr Oh pointed out.
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said that opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim needs to prove that he has enough support from Members of Parliament (MPs) to form a new government, while stating that he remains the "legal prime minister" of the country.
Mr Muhyiddin released a press statement on Wednesday (Sep 23), hours after Mr Anwar announced that he has garnered a "strong, formidable, convincing majority" of MPs to form a new government. The latter also claimed that the current government led by Mr Muhyiddin has fallen.
Mr Anwar did not reveal the list of MPs who are with him and said that he would only do so after the royal audience.
In his statement, Mr Muhyiddin said: "This allegation now needs to be proven through process and methods determined by the Federal Constitution. Without these processes, Anwar’s statement is a mere allegation. Until proven otherwise, the Perikatan Nasional government still stands firm and I am the legal Prime Minister.
"I call for citizens to stay calm in this situation. God willing, this issue will be managed properly according to the legal process and Federal constitution," he added.
In a separate statement, the Istana Negara called for Malaysians to remain calm as the country is still battling the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The king would like to take this opportunity to urge all Malaysians to remain calm and look after their health while complying with health standard operating procedures as we are still facing the dangers of COVID-19," said the statement.
The statement also said that the king has urged all quarters to prioritise the wellbeing of the people over everything else, especially during the time of COVID-19.
The palace confirmed that the king was scheduled to meet Mr Anwar on Tuesday. It said the meeting was postponed as the king had fallen ill and was seeking treatment at the National Heart Institute.
In an earlier televised address on Wednesday, Mr Muhyiddin appealed to Malaysians to reject the "blind actions" of a small group of politicians who he said are undermining the political stability of the country.
He said what is crucial now is a stable and strong government backed by the people.
"This is important so that many initiatives to recover the economy and to assist the people can be implemented effectively by the government," he said during the address.
Malaysia prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin and opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim. (Photos: Bernama, Reuters/Lim Huey Teng)
The prime minister said: “I therefore plead with the people to reject the blind actions of certain politicians who purposefully intend to affect the nation’s political stability as well as the economic recovery plans which are being implemented well at this time."
“God willing, we will be able to form a better future. I am confident of and have trust in the strength of our spirit as Malaysians ... I hope the Kita Prihatin package will bring great benefits to you."
ADDITIONAL RM10 BILLION FINANCIAL AID
Mr Muhyiddin announced that the government will be providing financial aid worth RM10 billion (US$2.4 billion) to further help Malaysians get through the pandemic.
The programme, he said, includes cash aid, assistance for small businesses and a wage subsidy scheme.
"No application will be necessary for the (cash aid). The government will channel the aid directly to the 10.6 million people who previously benefitted from the assistance," he said.
Mr Muhyiddin had earlier announced financial aid in three phases (Prihatin, Prihatin PKS Tambahan and Penjana) worth RM295 billion.
He added that at this time, it was important to prioritise the plight of the people instead of focusing on politics.
Malaysia opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim reacts during a news conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia September 23, 2020. REUTERS/LIm Huey Teng
Previously, Mr Anwar had been tipped to take over from Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who became the country’s seventh prime minister after Pakatan Harapan (PH) defeated Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition in the 2018 general election.
Mr Anwar, who was serving a jail term for sodomy, was granted a royal pardon days after PH’s shock victory.
The transition plan from Dr Mahathir to Mr Anwar had been a significant source of tension in PH as the former had repeatedly declined to give a concrete timetable as to when he would step aside for Mr Anwar to take the reins.
Dr Mahathir abruptly resigned in February and defectors from PH then worked with BN to form the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government.
Mr Muhyiddin, president of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), became the prime minister, after the king met all MPs and found that Mr Muhyiddin likely commanded the support of majority of the lawmakers.
Dr Mahathir and his allies were subsequently removed from Bersatu.
PH politicians have cried foul over PN’s political coup to wrest federal power, although the COVID-19 pandemic and government-instituted movement control order to stem the contagion temporarily abated much of the political feud.
United Malays National Organisation, which has always held the prime minister position before BN’s fall and is now part of the PN government, has repeatedly called for a general election to be held to get rid of the “backdoor government” impression.
Mr Muhyiddin, when campaigning in the ongoing Sabah state election, said a general election can be called if the state coalition he put together wins the Sabah polls on Sep 26.
Mr Anwar is currently facing a lawsuit filed to challenge the legality of a royal pardon he received two years ago, with the dates for case management and trial fixed in 2021.
