Why did Dr Mahathir make a U-turn on a mega-Malay party?

This is how Dr Mahathir Mohamad shook the Pakatan Harapan government in its foundation, creating a wave of anger and fear among the leaders.

Already shaken by the gay-sex tapes and a series of rape-corruption-sexual harassment accusations, the Pakatan did not need Dr Mahathir’s call for Malay parties to dissolve and join his party, the Bersatu.

But pressed by the Pakatan leadership, it appears Dr Mahathir made a massive U-turn in the mega-Malay party saga.

However, sources say everything is still out in the open on the dissolution of some parties or the simple formation of a coalition of Malay parties, soon.

If Dr Mahathir wanted to rally the Malays together in unity under the aptly called ‘Bersatu’ party, it failed.

AN ALLIANCE OF MALAY PARTIES?

There are other ways to gather the Malay MP’s together in Parliament. An alliance of Malay parties could be the case and this is still a thorn in the Pakatan’s future.

If all Malay-based parties are to join forces in Parliament (for some reason), They will command numerous seats.

Bersatu has 26, PAS 18, Umno 37, Amanah 13 and Warisan will give such an alliance 100 seats or more.
This is not enough to topple the Pakatan Harapan, if that was the intended aim.

But what if some PKR Malay or Bumi MP’s jump ship to the Bersatu? They will need at least 12 such MP’s to have a majority in Parliament.

With the Pakatan in tatters, the PKR in shambles after the gay-sex video and Azmin Ali losing his grip on the party the chances of a break-up of the PKR is real.
But knowing Dr Mahathir, he is not in favour of an all-Malay government.

Breaking the PKR and extracting the Malay MP’s from it will not help Dr Mahathir’s plans.

It will divide Malaysia right in the middle just like the events preceding May 13 did, that is a divided country with two major ethnic groups pitted against each other.

Dr Mahathir did say in interviews he is against an all-Malay/Bumi government and Malaysia needs all communities to work together to succeed.

Hence, the belief that he may have called for Malay parties to join Bersatu or dissolve into Bersatu may not have the intended consequence.

He may have said that to rally the Malays to his cause and nothing more than that.

But the U-turn he made last week after the Pakatan Harapan leadership meeting shows he was under pressure to change his statement.

He is now saying Malay MP’s may join any Malay parties they want; they are free to do so.

But then, no one understands or knows what really motivated Dr M on this issue!