Quit or stay silent. Ministers can’t attack their own regime without being farcical
Anwar’s resignation warning exposes ministers seeking to criticise the Unity Government while retaining Cabinet posts, raising questions over political integrity, accountability and commitment.
The prime minister’s warning could not have been clearer. Any minister or deputy minister who uses the Negeri Sembilan election campaign to attack partners in the federal Unity Government should step down. It was a simple test of political integrity: if you cannot defend the government you serve, do not continue enjoying the privileges of serving in it.
Yet the immediate reaction from an Umno minister — saying he is prepared to resign if that is the prime minister’s instruction — raises a more uncomfortable question. Why wait? If the rule has already been announced, why is the resignation letter not already on the table?
Being “ready to quit” is not the same as quitting. It is the political equivalent of saying, “I will leave when someone pushes me out the door.” Principles do not require reminders. If a minister believes campaigning effectively means attacking the Unity Government he represents, then remaining in Cabinet while preparing those attacks borders on political theatre.
The contradiction is glaring. Cabinet ministers are collectively responsible for government policy. They receive ministerial salaries, enjoy the machinery of government and project the image of a united administration. Yet, when elections arrive, some suddenly rediscover the urge to distance themselves from the very government they help run.
Resigning Ministers?
What makes the episode even more absurd is the timing. The same political figures were bold enough to push for state elections that many believe caught Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Pakatan Harapan off guard. They celebrated victories that embarrassed their federal partners and strengthened their own bargaining position. They were fearless in seeking electoral advantage, but appear remarkably hesitant when it comes to surrendering ministerial office.
It is difficult to escape the impression that some politicians want the best of both worlds — the authority, salary and prestige of federal office while simultaneously portraying themselves as opponents whenever it suits the campaign trail. That is not courage. It is convenience.
Politics demands choices. If ministers believe criticising the Unity Government is necessary to win votes, they are entitled to make that case before the electorate. But they should do so as ordinary party leaders, not as members of the very Cabinet they are attacking.
Public office is not a tenancy agreement where one continues collecting the benefits while openly questioning the landlord. If the warning was genuine, it must now be enforced. Otherwise, it risks becoming yet another political slogan that everyone applauds — until it is time to act.
https://www.worldfuturetv.com/bersama-already-bleeding-strategic-retreat/