Malaysia tiptoes with political change in the air
A dinner for Parliamentarians turned into a massive waiting game for a new government that is still unborn.
Today, on Feb 23, the Malaysian population was on guard, waiting for a major announcement from their Prime Minister.
But a no show of PM Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad at the dinner killed all hopes for the supporters of a new regime.
Rumours started in the early hours of the morning that there were several political meetings in Petaling Jaya and elsewhere.
The meetings involved the Bersatu party, the party of Dr Mahathir, and a break-away wing of Anwar Ibrahim’s party, the PKR.
There was also a meeting of the Umno as the opposition party was hoping there will be a new regime in place. It had hoped it will be in the new coalition under Dr Mahathir.
But at 10.30 PM in Malaysia, there is no presser by the PM and the much-taunted formation of a new government.
UNBORN REGIME
For months, there has been rumours and speculations that a new government is on the cards. The rumours say Dr Mahathir is behind an attempt to break the PH.
But to break the PH, he had to break the PKR, Anwar Ibrahim’s party. This seems done. Whether it is Dr M’s magic wand that’s behind the breaking of the PKR in two or not doesn’t matter.
What matters is the PKR is still one party. Both sides have no guts to decide to make it into two parties.
The antagonists against Anwar are perhaps too cosy in their posts to break the PKR and risk losing all.
They risk losing their posts as Ministers for that matter. Because it will be PKR’s right, as a member of the PH, to claim the ministerial seats.
Those who resign will have a hard time to regain the ministerial posts because they will not be PKR members any more.
MORE COMPLICATIONS
For the birth of a new regime in Malaysia, it gets more complicated. Not only the PM needs a majority in Parliament. Which it seems he does not have yet, he also needs the support from the King.
The Malaysian King has not delivered his verdict so far on meetings he had with opposition and government leaders today.
The Palace is silent on what was discussed. But some sources in the media says the MPs who went to the Palace made it known to the King there is a new regime planned.
Whether it is true or not, we will only know if the Palace issues a statement. But as much as Dr Mahathir’s press con vanished in thin air, the Palace did not issue anything.
This keeps the population longing for the good news or the bad news, of a new government in place.