In the hot seat: Ismail Sabri signing the instrument of appointment as Malaysia’s ninth Prime Minister at Istana Negara yesterday. — Bernama
TRUST in politicians is certainly nothing to crow about right now. The King, who was heading back to Pahang after his meeting with fellow Rulers on Friday, had wanted to install the new Prime Minister only tomorrow.
But they advised against it, insisting that His Majesty should conduct the ceremony at Istana Negara yesterday and not wait a day longer.
There was a good reason for patience. After all, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong had to go through the tedious process of sourcing a successor for Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin following his resignation as PM.
His government collapsed when 15 Umno members of Parliament withdrew their support.
After causing all the hassle and leaving the nation on tenterhooks, Umno has gone back to working with Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia to form a new government.
The only difference this time is that the PM, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, is from Umno and the deputy prime minister, if one is chosen soon, will be from Bersatu.
Under the Federal Constitution, there’s no provision for the post of DPM, and there’s no obligation to appoint anyone even, but succession planning is always advisable.
In Muhyiddin’s case, when he was forced to vacate his post, having a DPM eased the transition.
The Rulers feared that politicians would start to make fresh deals over the weekend, with no end in sight if the new PM was not formally announced and sworn in quickly.
No doubt the Palace didn’t enjoy having to meet MPs to listen to their stand personally because lawmakers are known to treat their statutory declarations frivolously.
Previously, some had signed more than one letter of allegiance, and leaders had been granted their audience with the King because of claims of having secured the numbers.
Ahead of the Rulers’ meeting, all kinds of allegations and innuendoes were made about the royals, with accusations of them taking sides and being close to the Opposition.
There were claims that the Palace had intervened and was trying to force a unity government, which clearly contravenes the Federal Constitution that stipulates the person who commands the majority in the House of Representatives would be PM. But of course, all this was not true.
It doesn’t matter if we like Ismail Sabri, or if we think he’s not smart, qualified or handsome enough. The crucial point is, he secured the most votes at 114.
Rules can’t be bent just because some of us dislike the person who earned the most votes from among our elected representatives.
But as the saying goes, “Man proposes, God disposes”, which essentially means that human beings can make any plans they want but it’s God who decides their success or failure.
There was also another point of deliberation on the Rulers’ minds. If they had their way, they wouldn’t want the general election to be delayed because they want Ismail Sabri to prove his mandate.
But that’s easier said than done. So they invited Elections Commission officials to share their thoughts on how elections could be conducted in a post-Covid-19 scenario.
There’s no chance of a GE being held this year because the pandemic is still raging, and the entire nation has yet to be fully vaccinated.
The Rulers were also hoping the PM would focus on fighting the virus and setting the economy back on track. The last thing they want is for Ismail Sabri to be distracted by politics.
Still, the call for elections is the prerogative of the Executive and not the Rulers. There’s at least a year and a half left before the term expires. The Federal Constitution, however, stipulates that the King must give his consent to the dissolution of Parliament.
The roles of the Constitutional Monarch and the Executive are clearly defined in the Constitution. Depending on the political inclination of lawyers, the interpretations sometimes differ, but that doesn’t mean the lawyers or experts are right.
There has been a lot of despair over the direction the country is taking, especially with politicians letting us down, the number of infections spiralling up and jobs being lost.
The lack of leadership and clarity has dampened the spirit of Malaysians. If we don’t believe in our country, how can we convince investors?
The onus is now on Ismail Sabri to prove his critics wrong. He has no time to celebrate and has to hit the ground running.
Get the best brains, regardless of their race, to help you uplift the nation. Show that you are a Malaysian leader who knows how to recognise the strength and talents of our people.
Protect the rights and interests of all Malaysians and not merely one race. You’ve been chosen to take the hot seat now, so show us your mettle.
