Opinion | Umno, PAS, Pakatan Harapan: in Malaysian politics, it’s hard to tell friend from foe
- Alliances in the country’s political arena are in a constant state of flux, as politicians are pragmatic about keeping or attaining power
- But welcoming old enemies into the fold runs the risk of sweeping past corruption under the carpet
PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said the party intends to table a vote of confidence in the prime minister when parliament next sits in March. When asked for comment by reporters, Mahathir’s response was short and sharp, if not sarcastic – he was already the prime minister, he said, though he thanked PAS for its support.
In a parliamentary democracy, a motion of confidence for a sitting prime minister is used to test whether he has the majority support of the house. Abdul Hadi hinted that he wanted to prevent a “back door” prime minister – a thinly veiled reference to Mahathir’s much-discussed handover of power to Anwar Ibrahim. Yet, a motion of confidence could embarrass Mahathir if he does not command enough support from parliamentarians. Should that happen, it would be an ungracious farewell for a statesman who did the impossible by defeating the 61-year rule of the Barisan Nasional coalition in May 2018.
Speaking to reporters on Friday about rumours some wanted him to stay in power for another two decades, Mahathir said: “I’m 94, in a few months I’ll be 95. Mana boleh tahan? [How can I last that long?]”
Still, it remains to be seen whether this will happen, as when it comes to staying in power, the degree of pragmatism demonstrated by politicians from both the government and opposition camps is puzzling for ordinary Malaysians. It keeps the people guessing what their leaders’ next move will be. Only when secret recordings are occasionally leaked and shared via social media can the people know the high-level games these politicians are playing, and they might not necessarily be for the good of the country.
