Spender yang sama cuma dipakai terbalik...

No surprise there , the King is constitutionally bound to appoint Ismail Sabri who commands confidence of majority MPs as the 9th Prime Minister although his appointment is surrounded by much controversy. - melgoh

Dengan majoriti tipis Ismail boleh disenjah jatuh bila2 masa oleh Mahiaddin jika berpakat dengan PH. PH pula kalau sapa2 ajak naik ke bulan diterima saja tanpa soal... - mso  

Tahniah PM 9...

Bila dah tak ada jalan keluaq maka keluaqlah pelbagai alasan paling bangang dari mulut si Din ni. Dulu yang PN awak boleh naik pun bukan kah kerana kluster kleptokrat UMNO  bersama 18 ekoq lembu lebai yang sokong hangpa? Din ni really dumb supporting the very crook who engineered his downfall albeit by proxy dan dia masih tak sedaq diri... - dr.ts

The new cabinet will 

reveal deals for PM's post...

With Umno vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob confirmed as Malaysia's new prime minister, analyst James Chin predicts that any deals struck to secure support for Ismail's position will be revealed through the new cabinet line-up.

In a statement today, Istana Negara said Ismail will be sworn in at 2.30pm today, after which the process to select a new cabinet will begin. It has so far remained unclear whether Ismail, who was deputy prime minister in the previous Perikatan Nasional administration, would retain the original line-up or introduce some changes.

This includes two vacant ministers' posts - Higher Education Ministry and Environment and Natural Resources - previously held by Wanita Umno chief Noraini Ahmad and Lenggong MP Shamsul Anuar Nasarah - who withdrew their support for former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

All eyes are also on the deputy prime minister's seat, with speculation high that it would be held by a former minister who is also a senior Bersatu leader.

In an initial response to Ismail's appointment, Chin also predicted that there could be defections from Bersatu back to Umno in the coming months. As a result, he noted that Bersatu, led by Muhyiddin, could be at risk defending its seats won against Umno in the 14th general election held in 2018.

Story kat sini...

While Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim had once again failed to prove he had the numbers against Ismail, Chin predicted that it would not be the end of the PKR president's career.

Separately, Reuters quoted Singapore's Institute of International Affairs senior fellow Oh Ei Sun as saying that Ismail may face an unstable coalition in view of his slim majority and divisions within Umno.

"There are still many who don't like him (in Umno) because they think that he betrayed the party and that by betraying the party, he clinched the top job," Oh reportedly said.

The weeks leading up to former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin's resignation saw a clear divide within Umno, with Ismail leading a larger group of MPs, including those from BN component parties who chose to remain with the PN administration until its last day.

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and 10 other MPs were among those who called for Muhyiddin's resignation. - mk

Din-PN support for Ismail conditional, 

no ministers with criminal charges...

Perikatan Nasional chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin said the coalition's 50 MPs support for prime minister candidate Ismail Sabri Yaakob is conditional. Muhyiddin said the cabinet must not include any ministers that are facing criminal charges.

"If appointed as prime minister by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, he (Ismail) must ensure that his cabinet ministers are among those who are with integrity, responsible, and free from any criminal charges in court," he said in a statement today.

Among Umno leaders who are facing ongoing court cases include party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who had led the faction of 15 MPs calling for Muhyiddin's resignation, and former premier Najib Abdul Razak.

Curiously, Muhyiddin referred to Ismail Sabri's impending administration as a PN government instead of a BN one. He said the new PN government must also continue the practice of respecting the separation of powers, protecting the independence of the judiciary and upholding constitutional monarchy.

Meanwhile, PN’s conditional support for Bera MP Ismail Sabri Yaakob to be prime minister should not be considered valid, argued lawyer Ambiga Sreenevasan(above).

Instead, the former Bar Council chairperson said MPs’ support for the prime minister must be unconditional.

“Conditional support by (PN) cannot surely be counted as support […] How can the government be stable if the intention is to pull support if condition not met?” she said

She also shared a tweet from another netizen showing Dewan Rakyat Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun’s letter spelling out requirements set out by the palace on what form of MPs’ letters of support should take.

Among others, Item 4(c) of the letter requires MPs to declare their “clear, unambiguous, and unconditional” confidence in their candidate of choice.

She was responding to PN chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin’s statement earlier today that support from the coalition’s 50 MPs for Ismail is conditional.

He said Ismail’s cabinet must not include any ministers who are facing criminal charges, and the new government must respect the separation of powers between the judiciary, the executive, and the legislature. - mk

cheers.

Game matematik PM9, semuanya tak boleh pakai...

Into the final hour before 4 pm deadline expires, no clear winner in sight although UMNO’s candidate Ismail Sabri is said to be pulling ahead with support of BN, PAS and other PN component parties. Warisan’s Shafie has pulled out, leaving Anwar the sole candidate for the opposition - MelGoh

Malay Rulers to meet on Friday...

A special meeting of the Malay Rulers will be held this Friday at Istana Negara where the King is most likely to share the decision of the 220 Members of Parliament in choosing the prime minister. The lawmakers have been told to submit their statutory declaration directly to Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah by today. Given the critical decision that His Majesty has to make, the meeting with his fellow Rulers is important, particularly if the numbers were too narrow. The meeting of the Rulers begins at 2.30pm. Continue reading...

PC di luar Istana Negara oleh Sdr Anwar

 sejurus selesai mengadap Agong... 

Some of them has already claim victory now, but kita doa sajalah selagi refree belum tiup wisel anything can happen. Otto Van Bismark said "Politics is the art of the possible" - dr.ts

PM caretaker Muhyiddin Yassin menegaskan dia tidak akan mengorbankan prinsipanya demi mempertahankan kerajaan Perikatan Nasional (PN).Jelasnya, dia tidak akan sesekali bersekongkol dengan kumpulan “kleptokrat” bagi menyelamatkan kedudukannya sebagai perdana menteri.

PN naik dulu pun dengan sokongan kleptokrat, PN tumbang  pun kerana kleptokrat menarik balik sokonganya, tak payah la dok meroyan dan merapu. Mungkin Muhyiddin lupa bahawa dia naik jadi PM kerana dokongan kleptokrat dan jatuh angkara kleptokrat!!! - Perak Insight

There are a few lessons to be learned from this sorry PN saga. The democratic process made it possible for a motley crew of Jaguh Kampongs, driven by nothing else but dubious vaulting ambitions, to take government for themselves. Thankfully, after a brief 17 months when race, religion, a bloated cabinet, and among other things, its inability to manage a raging Covid pandemic were vying with each other to bring down Mahai PN government, it was also the democratic process that finally rid our nation of these PN political pariahs. Let history count the costs to our nation and to our multi-racial community what PN avowed intent to put race and religion centre stage, over meritocracy and any sense of fairness and justice has done to Malaysia and Malaysians. There are more pressing things for Malaysians to do. 

While the powers that be, this time the Royals, go about the business of finding a prime minister to take care of business until PRU15, let us not be too hopeful that what we each want, will be possible.

Some of us want PH to do government. Some BN. Some of us want DSAI as PM while others will only swear allegiance to Ku Li, Tun Mahathir or Shafie Apdal. And then there are still some among us that still fervently talk of a Malay, Islamic centric government. Some wish for a unity government of the young, unencumbered by the baggage of kleptocracy and corruption, driven only by meritocracy and the dream of One Malaysia. And so the list goes on.

In a society such as ours, where unity in diversity must prevail, we must be mindful not only of our druthers but also that of others. Let us now, with great dispatch, with commitment and focus, move forward. In PRU14 we had Tun Mahathir, Kit Siang, DSAI, Mat Sabu with us, all united against BN. In PRU15, we have to choose a government and a leader by ourselves. And we need to do it right.

For any of you who are hoping that what now comes after Mahai’s resignation will reflect the people needs and desires – ONE MALAYSIA – I can only say this. Yes, this is one of the most crucial moments in the history of our nation. You guys are hoping that whosoever comes after Mahai will do the right thing by us all.

Let me tell you this….all the decisions that matters until PRU15, have already been made. They were made a few months back by the political pariahs that are still among us.

A few months back they decided that Mahai and PN and its inept bloated cabinet must go. They decided that Covid pandemic or not, PRU15 will take place as soon as circumstance allows. They decided that there will be an interim /caretaker prime minister to ready the electorate for PRU15. Everything else…managing the raging Pandemic, taking care of the rakyat who are now doing it tough, and kick-starting the economy…takes a back seat to what they will each need to do to ensure their electoral victory in PRU15. I was privy to these ‘back door’ political manoeuvrings. That is why a few months back, I already began to write about what has happened in these last few days.

Our opportunity to set things right lies not now when Mahai and PN have been exorcised from our midst. That we can only do in PRU15.

BN or PH will not change their stripes to please us. It is one or the other that will do government. What need is there for them to do things differently? You and I cannot make them. There is no political will to drive them towards needed reforms in the Judiciary, in PDRM, MACC or any of the other government authorities. Do you think a Minister will enact legislation that will take away his authority to be the final decision maker of all things under his Ministry? No way. Do you think KDN will allow PDRM to act independently without fear or favour? Think again! Any attempt to enact legislation to take authority away from the elected representatives holding public office, will not be successful. They want the status quo to remain. 

That leaves only us to make right what is wrong with our beloved Malaysia. Thank God, we have the means to defend our turf. We can vote in PRU15. The fight starts now. As I have said yesterday….Let us all move forward towards PRU15. This is what I intend to do, and this is what I think we should all do. Be the government that you want. Be the prime minister you wish to have to lead this nation of ours. Be the future our country and our children need. Be ready to vote right in PRU15! May the Force Be With us. - Hussein Abdul Hamid

Muhyiddin cries and lies 

even after resign...

Former backdoor Prime Minister Mahiaddin (glamour name: Muhyiddin) has officially resigned today (August 16). It’s quite stunning that the day his backdoor Perikatan Nasional government collapse is also the same day Talibans captured Kabul, leading to the collapse of President Ashraf Ghani government in Afghanistan. While Ashraf had fled, Muhyiddin continues to lie.

The royal audience at the Palace took less than 30 minutes before King Sultan Abdullah gladly accepts Muhyiddin’s letter of resignation. Unlike February 24, 2020, when the King tried to convince Mahathir Mohamad to not resign as Prime Minister (after Muhyiddin betrayed his own Pakatan Harapan government), the monarch did not try to stop Muhyiddin from resigning this round.

The fact that Yang di-Pertuan Agong has also decreed that calling for a General Election during the current Covid-19 pandemic is not an option suggests that Mr Muhyiddin had probably tried to convince the King to dissolve Parliament. This means the power-hungry man would rather try his luck with a snap election than safeguarding the people’s life and health.

Clearly Muhyiddin was reluctant to let go of his power. Not only he becomes the shortest serving prime minister in the history of Malaysia, his short 17-month legacy will be known by historians and students as an era of SOP U-turns, policy flip-flops, double standards, incompetence, hypocrisy, corruption, Coronavirus mishandling, economic mismanagement and of course – illegitimacy.

And the proof of his frustration and dissatisfaction of having to resign under such a humiliating situation can be found in his national address. Desperate to create a narrative that he was a victim and a hero, Muhyiddin claimed that he failed to save his Perikatan Nasional government as a result of lust for power from certain politicians, obviously referring to Najib Razak and Zahid Hamidi.

Telling his sob story, he argued that he could have chosen the “easy way” by sacrificing his so-called principles and worked with the crooks. But because he refused to be an accomplice to “kleptocrats”, he was forced to resign after UMNO president Zahid managed to get 15 out of 42 Barisan Nasional MPs to quit the government, effectively toppling the government.

Sheraton Move - Muhyiddin Yassin and Azmin Ali

Mr Muhyiddin’s whining and bitching over the national TV was both entertaining and pathetic. He should be the last person on planet Earth to complain about Najib and Zahid’s greed for power. He conveniently forgot that it was he who had betrayed the democratically elected Pakatan Harapan government by plotting, conspiring and scheming with both crooks during the “Sheraton Move”.

Instead of crying now, Muhyiddin should remember the moments he happily and proudly walked into the Sheraton Hotel in Petaling Jaya last year, laughing and hugging the enemies – UMNO kleptocrats like Najib Razak and Zahid Hamidi, as well as PAS Islamist extremists and Talibans like Hadi Awang and Takiyuddin Hassan.

 

Secondly, Muhyiddin should also remember the previously leaked voice recording of himself in May 2020. In the one-minute audio recording, a voice resembling that of Bersatu (PPBM) president Muhyiddin Yassin was heard suggesting that UMNO leaders be bribed to join PPBM with promises of positions in the Cabinet and even GLCs (government-linked companies).

In his lust for power, Muhyiddin was willingly – even to the extent of desperation – offered positions to the world’s biggest crook when he said – “If they know a new government is going to be formed with UMNO, why not tell them to join us now rather than later? I think if we do that … 10, 20 people … Najib and his gang … and we give them positions … if not ministers, then the chairmen of GLCs.”

Hence, as a power-crazy man himself, Muhyiddin should stop accusing others of being power-hungry. And as an accomplice to “kleptocrats”, he should stop faking as a man with principles. Can he explain why his appointed-Attorney General Idrus Harun suddenly dropped all 46 corruptions and money-laundering charges against former Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman?

Can he also explain why Tengku Adnan’s RM2 million corruption conviction was conveniently overturned last month, during a crucial period when Muhyiddin desperately needed the crook’s vote in Parliament? In truth, the powerful prime minister can and has always interfered with the judiciary to free criminals and crooks of the same feather.

 

Najib Razak and Zahid Hamidi 

His refusal to free Najib and Zahid is incredibly easy to understand. If Najib is free, he will return to drive UMNO and become the biggest threat to Muhyiddin’s political career. Najib’s influential and leadership would make empty vessel Muhyiddin looked like a stooge. More importantly, he wanted to take revenge after Najib sacked him in July 2015 over the 1MDB scandal.

While Zahid was an easy meat, he was an obstacle to Muhyiddin’s ultimate plan to acquire the United Malays National Organisation. Muhyiddin’s own party, Bersatu (PPBM), lacks strong grassroots and machinery. But if Zahid is sent to prison or convicted of corruptions, Muhyiddin could easily take over UMNO and use its grassroots and machinery to win the next general election.

He should stop insulting people’s intelligence. Before Najib and Zahid started the scheme and plot to pull 15 UMNO MPs out of Perikatan Nasional government, Muhyiddin was as quiet as a church mouse, happily enjoying the kleptocrats’ support. But after he was toppled and lost his Iron Throne, he started jumping and pointing finger at the crooks.

But the best part of his farewell speech was when the former PM shameless claimed that there were millions of people who had begged him not to resign. Did he not realize that before his resignation, his popularity or approval rating had plunged to less than 20%? He did not mention the white flag and black flag movements against his regime for obvious reason.

The drama queen also played some silly religious cards, fantasizing that the God had upgraded his status because he fought against Najib’s 1MDB scandal, leading to his sacking. As a result of the God’s blessing, he was entrusted to become the country’s prime minister. Using the same logic, perhaps it was the God’s punishment for his treachery and betrayal.

He also claimed credit, reminding the people how his now-collapsed Perikatan Nasional government’s has ordered more than 87 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines, costing a whopping RM4.36 billion. He talked as if the money came from his own pocket instead of taxpayers’ money. However, he could not explain why 14 million doses of vaccines are being sold to companies and states.

In the same speech, Muhyiddin said his super bloated Cabinet of 73 ministers and deputy ministers had tried the best to save lives and protect the people. That’s not true. On the contrary, his regime had actually killed close to 13,000 people due to Covid, when most of those deaths could be prevented had the government employ competent and capable leaders to manage the pandemic.

Malaysia bloated Cabinet -72 Minsters and Deputy Ministers

On March 1, 2020, the day he was sworn in as the 8th Prime Minister, the country had only 29 Coronavirus cases and “zero death” under the previous Pakatan Harapan government. Today, after 17 months under his clueless and incompetent Perikatan Nasional regime, the country saw a total of 1,424,639 infections and 12,784 deaths. He can argue until the cows come home, but the blood is on his hands.

Last year, under Perikatan Nasional, unemployment rate has skyrocketed to 4.8%, foreign direct investments (FDI) has dropped by 68%, some 32,000 small-and-medium-businesses have closed down, Fitch Ratings’ has downgraded Malaysia’s credit rating from A- to BBB+ and economy – GDP – has plunged by 5.6% – the worst contraction since the 1998 Asian Financial Crisis.

As of June 2021, 30% of shops at shopping malls had closed down and 300,000 workers in retail industries nationwide had lost their jobs over the past 16 months due to failure of the government in containing the pandemic. SME Association of Malaysia also warned that at least 50,000 more small-and-medium-enterprises (SMEs), especially in retail and food and beverages, may be out of business.

In early July, former Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar admitted that up to 580,000 businesses – representing 49 % of the micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) sector – are at risk of closing down by October. Malaysia’s MSME sector accounts for close to 40% of the country’s GDP.

IBM, Hyundai, Shell, T‑Systems, Citibank and HSBC are just some of the companies that had either retrenched or relocated to neighbouring countries due to the government’s incompetence and uncertainty over its policies. Heck, even chambers of commerce of German, Japan and the Netherlands had written to express their displeasure over Muhyiddin government’s half-baked SOPs.

Today (August 16), as Muhyiddin reluctantly resigned, Fitch Solutions has warned of a stagnant economy for the rest of 2021 after revising Malaysia gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast to 0% from 4.9%. Fitch also highlighted that Malaysia’s total government debt has already exceeded its self-imposed debt limit of 60% of GDP (64.6% of GDP at the end of the first quarter of 2021).

With unemployment climbed to 4.8% in June from 4.5% in May, how could Muhyiddin claim that his regime had done a good job? Those who live by the sword, die by the sword. Even if Muhyiddin does not believe in “karma”, he should believe in divine retribution or God’s punishment for traitors who betrayed their own friends and allies. After everything he had done, he deserves it. - FT

cheers.

Din dah gostan dengan gerabaknya sekali...

Muhyiddin Yassin yang mengumumkan peletakan jawatannya sebagai perdana menteri hari ini memohon maaf kepada seluruh rakyat Malaysia atas kekhilafannya sepanjang mentadbir negara.Presiden Bersatu itu berkata dia melepaskan jawatan selaras dengan kehendak Perlembagaan Persekutuan selepas tidak lagi memiliki majoriti di Parlimen apabila 15 ahli Parlimen Umno menarik sokongan.

"Saya ingin mengambil kesempatan ini untuk memohon keampunan daripada saudara dan saudari atas segala kekhilafan dan kelemahan saya sepanjang saya menjadi perdana menteri. "Saya dan rakan-rakan dalam jemaah menteri telah cuba melakukan yang terbaik untuk menyelamatkan nyawa dan melindungi kehidupan saudara dan saudari sekalian dalam tempoh krisis yang masih kita hadapi pada masa ini.

"Namun, sebagai manusia pastinya ada salah dan silap di sana ini. Jadi saya memohon maaf," katanya ketika menyampaikan perutusan khas, sebenar tadi. Muhyiddin berkata dia menyerahkan kepada kebijaksanaan kepada Yang di-Pertuan Agong untuk memilih perdana menteri baru dan membentuk kerajaan dalam kadar segera. - mk

Dia akan jadi PM gomen caretaker sat sementara YDPA lantik PM yang baru...

Malaysia’s 8th prime minister has tendered his resignation together with his entire cabinet . In a sombre final address to the nation, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said he did all he could to save the Perikatan Nasional-led administration, but it was not meant to be. In a televised address, Muhyiddin announced that he and the Cabinet had resigned as demanded by the Federal Constitution as he no longer enjoyed the support of the majority of MPs. But, he said, it was fated that this would be his last day in office.

Muhyiddin reiterated that he had been threatened politically to intervene in ongoing court cases of high-profile individuals.He thanked his Cabinet colleagues and other senior government officials, such as attorney-general Idrus Harun, health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah “and other officials whom I cannot name one by one”, for all their help in managing the pandemic.

He also thanked his wife and family for their endless support, as well as those who had backed him within PN. “To all Malaysians, I thank you for your support. I will continue to be devoted to you and always pray for your health and wellbeing.” Muhyiddin apologised to the people for his mistakes and weaknesses during his tenure. - fmt

Din resigned – As Sabri-Hamzah struggles to 

grab power while Azmin is trapped...

Muhyiddin Yassin resigned on Monday after an audience with King Sultan Abdullah. After his too-little-too-late offers to the Opposition were flatly rejected without even a roundtable talk, it was game over for the 74-year-old prime minister, whose leadership has been plagued with the legitimacy issue ever since he was sworn in as the 8th Prime Minister on March 1, 2020.

After he publicly spoke on national TV, admitting that he indeed has lost the majority as widely suspected, his best option is to resign. At least he could preserve whatever little dignity left. To insist on testing his majority in Parliament when there is none is both foolish and futile. To argue he still has the biggest majority and refuse to let go of his power, and risk being sacked, is even more humiliating.

After betting the wrong horse, one of UMNO infamous rebels and gangsters – Nazri Aziz – is now betting on another horse. He is now running around soliciting statutory declaration for Deputy Prime Minister Ismail Sabri to be the 9th Prime Minister to replace Muhyiddin. But is “turtle egg” Sabri really a prime minister material to begin with? It doesn’t matter even if he has the “IQ of a carrot”.

When Sabri met with Sultan Ibrahim two days ago, just a day after the Johor Ruler lunched with Muhyiddin at the state palace, it immediately sets tongues wagging. To ensure Bersatu (PPBM), Muhyiddin’s party, remains part of the government even after the PM’s resignation, it appears the plan is to promote Deputy PM Sabri and Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin as No. 1 and No.2 respectively.

A weak and clueless new leader like Ismail Sabri is definitely great news to not only the ambitious traitor Hamzah, but also to the Malay Rulers. The last time Malaysia had a strong leader and government, the monarchs saw then-PM Mahathir Mohamad defanged and stripped powers of the Sultans and Agong (King). There’s little doubt that Sabri is an excellent puppet candidate.

The Sabri-Hamzah tag-team is consistent with our article published 2 months ago (read here). But what will happen to Azmin Ali, the blue-eyed gay boy of both Mahathir and Muhyiddin? Azmin, who brought 10 MPs to quit and betray their own party PKR (People’s Justice Party), triggering the collapse of Pakatan Harapan government last year, was thought to be the future prime minister.

Hishammuddin Hussein and Azmin Ali

The popular belief, or at least the propaganda, says that UMNO MP Hishammuddin Hussein and Bersatu MP Azmin Ali would become No. 1 and No. 2 respectively when the time comes for Muhyiddin to retire. It was the ultimate secret recipe to power sharing between UMNO and Bersatu. Both individuals are not only relatively young and cunning, but also are good buddies who holidayed together.

However, the problem with Hishammuddin-Azmin tag team is that both individuals do not have full support from their own parties. If UMNO cannot even fully support one of their own kind (Hishammuddin), how could the party accept an “outsider” like Azmin, who was not only a traitor and untrustworthy, but also a Muslim who was caught in gay sex, as the deputy prime minister?

To make matters worse, Mahiaddin’s two top lieutenants – Senior Minister Azmin Ali and Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin – have been fighting tooth and nail to become the top dog. While Azmin and Hamzah are both traitors, having betrayed their own PKR and UMNO parties respectively, the power-crazy Hamzah considers himself to be more senior and cleverer.

The bad blood between both men actually started after PM Mahiaddin designated Azmin as the de-facto deputy prime minister. While the prime minister said when his new Cabinet was formed in March 2020 that all the four senior ministers are “equal”, he had also announced that Azmin Ali will chair Cabinet meetings whenever he is absent. The next in line is Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

That explains why Azmin Ali and Ismail Sabri was caught banging the table in their argument to claim their seniority and territory. At the same time, Azmin and Hamzah do not see eye to eye largely due to jealousy or envy over the unfair distribution of portfolio, positions and power. Hamzah believes he was the brain behind the “Sheraton Move”, hence deserved the senior position.

Bersatu is clearly divided between Azmin team and Hamzah camp. If Hishammuddin can team up with Azmin, why can’t Hamzah work with Sabri for the position of prime minister and deputy prime minister? After all, Sabri is one of the UMNO vice presidents while Hamzah was formerly from UMNO. There is more synergy with Sabri-Hamzah combo than Hishammuddin-Azmin.

Azmin Ali and Ismail Sabri

And that is precisely what happens now. Hishammuddin-Azmin combo won’t work even if Muhyiddin prefers the combination. While Hishammuddin is weak and has lesser influence among the UMNO rebels, arrogant Azmin has bad blood with both Sabri and Hamzah. To push for Hishammuddin-Azmin as a replacement will definitely destroy Perikatan Nasional beyond repair.

However, the hastily hatched plan to propose Sabri and Hamzah to the King tomorrow may not necessarily work. Not only Sabri, like Hishammuddin, has bet the wrong horse when they blindly stood behind Muhyiddin during the regime’s act of treason against the monarch, but both UMNO rebels have also defiantly disobeyed their own party’s decision to pull out – even till this hour.

 

The lust for power saw how Hishammuddin and Sabri wanted to have the cake and eat it too. They refuse to quit UMNO because they knew Muhyiddin’s party lacks grassroots and machinery. At the same time, they refuse to quit Bersatu because they wanted to stay in power. The power game has become very interesting because none of them has enough votes to form a new government.

It appears Muhyiddin’s loss of majority – short of 11 votes – has become a new problem with the wicked plan of promoting Sabri. With 15 UMNO MPs out of the government, thanks to UMNO president Zahid Hamidi and his predecessor Najib Razak, Perikatan Nasional coalition is still staring at its 100 votes against the Opposition’s 120 (including 15 UMNO votes).

That’s why Sabri has reached out to former PM Mahathir for support. If the former world’s oldest prime minister can be convinced to swing his party Pejuang’s 4 seats in favour of Sabri, it was hoped that Sabah-based Warisan would fall in line, bringing its 9 MPs to the board. The additional 13 MPs would be enough for Sabri to present his case to the King, at least that was the wishful thinking.

As the kingmaker, you can count on Mahathir to present a long wish list to the desperate PM wannabe Ismail Sabri. The old man had made known that he isn’t interested to become a powerless Mentor Minister. What he wanted is the formation of a National Recovery Council (NRC), of which he will lead. It means Mahathir also wants to become the prime minister – for the third time – under a different pretext.

Ismail Sabri and Hamzah Zainuddin

Even if Mahathir miraculously agrees to the clueless turtle egg Sabri becoming the next PM, there’s a problem with the PAS Islamist party. PAS, upon confirming that Muhyiddin will resign, has made a U-turn. Without the Iron Throne, Bersatu is useless to PAS. In order to suck up to UMNO, PAS reportedly has rejected UMNO rebel Sabri. The Islamist party now says only UMNO endorsed candidate is acceptable.

Still, assuming the monarch is ready to forget and forgive the treachery and treason of Muhyiddin and Sabri, will Azmin play ball with the latest political realignment? Like it or not, once Muhyiddin resigns, it will be dog eat dog once again. Without power, Muhyiddin cannot protect Azmin anymore, let alone give orders to Hamzah to play nice and don’t harm the gay boy.

Sure, Sabri and Hamzah still need Azmin and his 10 loyalists (assuming his loyalists do not jump ship) to ensure Perikatan Nasional coalition remains intact, for the time being. But you don’t need a rocket scientist to tell Azmin that his future is bleak. It’s unlikely he will retain his current powerful and lucrative portfolio – Minister of International Trade and Industry.

Azmin should be smart enough to hedge his bet. And you can bet your last penny that he has already reached out to his former boss, PKR president and Opposition de-facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, seeking opportunities for reconciliation. Considering that Anwar has urged MPs from both sides of the political divide to put aside politics of revenge, eyes should be on Azmin and Anwar.

Azmin’s silence is deafening at the crucial hours when Sabri scrambles soliciting votes and support. Will Azmin once again betray his own government – Perikatan Nasional? The stunning collapse of the Muhyiddin regime effectively traps Azmin in the no man’s land. He needs to think wisely whether to remain in the fragile coalition or start repairing his reputation and image.

The return of Azmin and his band of 10 traitors to PKR or as pro-Opposition independents would certainly boost Anwar’s chances for the Iron Throne and demolish Sabri’s plan. But that would invite a backlash from Pakatan Harapan angry supporters, who may boycott or abandon the Opposition in the next 15th General Election, which is just less than 1½ years away. - FT

Who after Muhyiddin?...

As it stands now, with 15 Umno MPs having sent in letters to the king that they no longer support Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, it is clear that the prime minister has lost his majority in Parliament.

If Muhyiddin can’t make up the numbers, he will eventually have to go. He can only delay the inevitable for a while more; both king and people are getting restive and impatient.

The important question is: who will take over after Muhyiddin? Below’s our list, in no particular order, with our assessment of the person and his fitness for the job. Although conventional wisdom at the moment seems to dictate a candidate from Umno, that’s not absolutely necessary.

Apologies for including Muhyiddin in a list of those after him, but there’s a chance he may yet survive. Please take the chances with a generous pinch of salt. The flavour may not be to your liking.

1. Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi – gangster, facing criminal charges...

It’s curious that he appears to suggest that he should be prime minister. Really, he’s facing multiple criminal charges as the whole country knows. His closeness to Malay gangs, especially Tiga Line, is well known. He has openly called them “orang kita”.

Can he handle Covid-19? Most certainly not. His intellectual capacity is probably lower than Muhyiddin. As with all Umno-type top politicians, they feel they know better about everything than everyone else, even the medical people. The other thing is doing good does not matter – politics is above all.

His chances are very low. Remember, 15 MPs do not a prime minister make – unless you are Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and have hoodwinked an entire nation yet again. Not so soon, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, you don’t have the credentials. He has no stature to be even a compromise candidate. Chances: less than 5%.

2. Datuk Seri Najib Razak – 1MDB architect and convicted criminal...

Surely not him of all people, although his PR is smooth and sensible. He knows when to counter this government by saying the right things at the right time. But we can’t forgive him, can we, for what he did at 1MDB: the borrowing and the subsequent pillage of borrowed funds. Why, you could write a book about it, and indeed I did – 1MDB: The Scandal that Brought Down a Government. He has even less chance than Zahid.

Opinion is divided over whether a conviction automatically disqualifies him, but if he is a choice, it’s likely to be hugely unpopular. Remember, the only reason only a third of Malays voted Umno in the last elections – it has never been less than 50% before – was because of 1MDB and his role in losing as much as RM50 billion for the nation, more if you include opportunity costs. Chances: less than 2%.

3. Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob – an opportunistic moment...

A paucity of good leaders saw his fortunes catapulted to the top, especially with the other Senior Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali sidelined as his popularity plummeted for compound reasons. Notice Azmin’s name is not on this list. Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, the accidental deputy prime minister, may become prime minister simply because he is in the right position at the right time.

If anything happens to the ailing prime minister, he automatically ascends to the top position. He has received tonnes of free publicity as the face of major Covid-19 announcements when the prime minister in absentia left it to him to make them. If Muhyiddin is unable to continue, Ismail Sabri steps up into his shoes and may well remain until the 15th general election (GE15). It takes 1-2 years before criminal incompetence and corruption start to show up. His chances: up to 10%.

4. Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah – old stalwart, the compromise candidate...

His chances of becoming prime minister were thwarted when Dr Mahathir supported Tun Musa Hitam for Umno deputy president aeons ago. An aging Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, 84, is hoping that his last chance will materialise.

He may well be a good choice as interim prime minister until GE15. He has the experience and background, and perhaps even the ability. He is sufficiently divorced from everyday politics and jostling and jousting to focus on the problems facing the country.

If Muhyiddin stepping down is the only solution for Perikatan Nasional to stay in power, he may be the best – no, the only compromise candidate acceptable to all. Even the opposition might support him. His chances: perhaps 22%.

5. Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein – a good pedigree but little else...

What do you say about a person who has been rather mediocre so far, although the fact that he is a lawyer helps? But he has a good pedigree. His grandfather Datuk Sir Onn Jaafar is the founding father of Umno and its first president, although he left the party prematurely when it did not take too well to his suggestion of opening membership to all Malayans. A man ahead of his time. His father was the incorruptible, ramrod-straight, no-nonsense Tun Hussein Onn, the third prime minister of Malaysia. Hussein’s only fault was picking Dr Mahathir as his deputy. He admitted as much in later life.

But Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein exhibits none of the characteristics of his forebears. He is a middling politician being pushed to the top by a dearth of quality there. The main one of some quality is one Khairy Jamaluddin, also Covid-19 vaccine minister, considered too young to enter the fray now.

What are his chances? If it is desired that Ismail Sabri is not an ideal candidate for the prime minister’s position, he has an outside chance, perhaps as much as Ismail Sabri – 10%.

6. Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal – riding on East Malaysian credentials...

There is talk now of an East Malaysian possibly taking up the prime minister’s mantle, and this former Umno vice-president has been offered up. But his achievements are limited. He lost the state of Sabah, so how can he be prime minister? He does not even have support in Sabah. He is considered an alternative to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Why would Pakatan Harapan agree? Umno is meanwhile not going to support a dropout – actually, a person who was expelled along with Muhyiddin during Najib’s time.

His party has only nine MPs, even less than Dr Mahathir’s 13 MPs when he became prime minister again in 2018. Shafie is a long shot, his only appeal being that he is from East Malaysia – not quite enough right now to swing it. Let’s give him 5%.

7. Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad...

What? Really? Are we Malaysians suckers for punishment? How many times can we take to being lied, cheated, and disappointed? He is the one who was responsible for all this mess in the first place. All he had to do was pass the baton to the willing and eager Anwar, but instead he dropped it – wilfully – at Sheraton. And Muhyiddin picked it up in a flash and left even Dr Mahathir behind and panting.

This name would not be even here if not for the constant cackle of those nostalgic for his time and enamoured of his own shadow economic recovery council, which he will of course head if given the chance. But he will promptly put Tun Daim Zainuddin in charge instead.

That’s what he did after he became prime minister for the second time: delaying setting up the cabinet, can you believe it? Daim was more powerful than Dr Mahathir and the cabinet put together making all major decisions for Malaysia where it mattered most – money, business, and economics. No, Dr Mahathir has hardly a chance after what he did. Let’s say 1%. If you still root for him, read this.

8. Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim – will he ever be Prime Minister?...

He is his own worst enemy. He could have been prime minister if he had not let the fox Dr Mahathir into the henhouse even after he did not deliver with 13 out of 51 parliamentary seats contested. If Bersatu was not in PH, they would have won even fewer seats. Don’t believe that? Then read this.

Feathers flew everywhere but instead of turning on the fox, the hens and cockerels started pecking each other – oh, what a mess, needless bloodletting without any kills that went on for 22 months.

Now, Anwar wants to do a deal with Zahid of all people. At least, that’s what they say. He needs to put his head down and work, without compromise, to win GE15.

But let him make it crystal clear: PH will only support its own leader for prime minister, not anyone else. Otherwise, no deal. And that’s only an interim arrangement until GE15, after which it’s each party for itself. That way, you preserve integrity.

All those people who don’t want him forget one thing right now. How Malaysians forget. His coalition – yes, his; Dr Mahathir’s Bersatu only joined it – won the last general election. And if Dr Mahathir had kept his promise, Anwar would have been prime minister now and all this needless politicking would be unnecessary.

And that other thing many non-Malays tell me, that he is a Muslim extremist, I looked and can’t find the evidence. When he was finance minister in the nineties, he appointed a non-Malay secretary general at the Finance Ministry. Ask Tan Sri Clifford Herbert.

In 2008, at a rally in Gombak, a Malay-majority community, where he was campaigning for his then good friend Azmin ahead of GE13, I heard him say unambiguously, “Melayu anak kita, Cina dan India pun anak kita, dan semua lain-lain pun anak kita”, or words to that effect. He was advocating strongly that all poor must be helped irrespective of race. Now, which Umno or Bersatu leader has said that? Please show me the racist, extremist Anwar.

He still has a good chance if he exerts himself. Make it plain that the only leader PH will support for prime minister is the leader of PH. Period. No ifs, buts, and deals. No Dr Mahathirs, Shafies, or any others riding on PH’s baju. No more. Principled people don’t compromise on basics.

It will be poetic justice if he becomes prime minister. After all, that was the express premise and promise of GE15, which Dr Mahathir brutally thwarted at considerable expense to the country.

Also, if Anwar is prime minister, he has access to far better quality people to draw upon as ministers, not the clutch of incompetent, corrupt, and power-hungry monsters who largely constitute our cabinet, head our GLCs, and many state governments to boot from Umno and Bersatu.

9. Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin – the power of incumbency...

My top bets are Tengku Razaleigh, Anwar, and I am very sorry to have to say this, Muhyiddin with a 22% chance each of becoming prime minister. The power of incumbency is strong and can attract MPs who lack moral fibre for the right incentives. Tengku Razaleigh is a great compromise interim candidate until the next polls in 2023.

If PH puts its foot down and is able to entice previous deserters back into the fold from Bersatu, it can do it without having to go to bed with Umno. It can also do this with Umno MPs who are not supporting Muhyiddin but make it plain that it’s every party for itself come GE15. But vision and leadership is sorely lacking right now.

Muhyiddin, meanwhile, has a chance too but most people and politicians want him out for his abysmal handling of Covid-19. And rightfully so. As I write Malaysia is sixth in the world for Covid-19 cases per capita and rising.

Our leadership now is like Donald Trump in the United States where the president threw science out of the window and came up with his own cures for Covid-19. What a refreshing change Biden brought, as he overturned the tide of Covid-19. Muhyiddin needs to go, but will he?

And my top bets...

The power of incumbency is great and Muhyiddin has shown himself to be resourceful in terms of pulling rabbits out of hats at crucial periods. If he had been that inventive with Covid-19, the menace would be behind us by now. He was not and that’s why he should go.

Anwar and PH won the last elections but both the victory and the prime ministership was hijacked by Dr Mahathir whose Bersatu was thrashed at GE14 in the Malay heartland, winning a mere 25% of seats contested, with a miserly 13 seats. If not for PH, they would have won less.

PH and allies need to exert their large number of 88-94 seats now. Make it clear they will only support its leader for the prime minister’s post, no one else. Will it work? You don’t know until you try, will you? –  P. Gunasegaram

cheers.

Baik! baik ada makna tuuu...

 

The Federal Court had already ruled that evidence of loss of majority other than that established in the legislative assembly was legally acceptable to compel the Perak MB to resign. In its unanimous judgment on 9th Feb 2010 on the Nizar vs Zambry case in Perak, the 5-member panel even ruled that then incumbent MB Nizar and his Exco were deemed to have vacated their seats when they refused to resign.

This Federal Court ruling remains the law, unless and until it is overturned.Hence, the Agong can legally appoint a new prime minister when he has in his possession sufficient evidence that Muhyiddin has lost his majority, even when Muhyiddin refuses to resign. - kim quek

Kita juga ingin tahu adakah PH akan menerima kleptokrat jika mereka menyokong Ketua Pembangkang sebagai Perdana Menteri? Kalau mereka terima, tidaklah ada apa2 beza antara PH dengan PN yang merampas kuasa melalui kerjasama dengan kleptokrat... - akj

Din now begs for Opposition’s support 

in exchange of money/positions/reforms...

The emergence of a letter from House Speaker “Art Harun” Azhar Azizan Harun dated August 3 to the King Sultan Abdullah, informing the Palace that Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had only support from 106 MPs, was the last straw that broke the camel’s back. August 3 was the same Tuesday UMNO president Zahid Hamidi announced the withdrawal of support for the PM.

 

Including UMNO MP Shamsul Anuar Nasarah, who had earlier resigned as the energy and natural resources minister before Zahid’s announcement, at least 12 UMNO MPs have quit. They are Zahid Hamidi, Najib Razak, Azalina Othman Said, Abdul Azeez Rahim, Noh Omar, Nizar Zakaria, Ahmad Mazlan, Tengku Razaleigh, Ramli Mohd Nor, Ahmad Maslan and Ahmad Nazlan Idris.

 

Exactly how the despicable and corrupt Speaker Harun arrived at the 106 figure is quite a mystery because “106+12” is 118. But the ruling Perikatan Nasional government had never possessed 118 MPs in the Parliament. Because there were 107 Opposition MPs, the government had only 113 votes at most, after the death of 2 MPs in the 222-seat Parliament.

If the genius Speaker calculated 106 MPs “before” Zahid’s announcement, it means the regime had collapsed much earlier. If he got the number “after” Zahid’s announcement, it means the Speaker had lied to Agong (King). Either way, the prime minister effectively lost his simple-majority as early as August 3 – some ten days ago – therefore, he must resign.

In short, the power-hungry Mahiaddin alias Muhyiddin has been walking around as an illegal and illegitimate prime minister for the last 10 days. That’s why the Palace had sent another letter to the House Speaker on August 9, seeking confirmation from the Lower House of Representative (Dewan Rakyat) again in regards to the latest support possessed by the prime minister.

However, the latest numbers are worse. The scoreboard says at least 120 votes against Muhyiddin’s 100 votes. Clearly, Muhyiddin is 11 votes short of the magic number. With the referee – the King – having flashed the red card numerous times, it’s getting harder, if not impossible, to bribe and buy Opposition MPs to switch sides and join the sinking ship.

Even Federal Territories Minister Annuar Musa, the loudest cheerleader of the backdoor PM, appears to be ready to jump ship. Annuar has urged Art Harun to clarify the letter, which the House Speaker has refused to either acknowledge or deny. Instead of defending his boss, Annuar said if the letter is authentic, then Muhyiddin has lost support and must resign immediately.

The letter dated August 3 from the Speaker also means the disgraced prime minister had deliberately lied and insulted the King on August 4 when he insisted that he still commands the support of a majority of Members of Parliament. Exactly how could he claim to have the support in Parliament when his own appointed Speaker confirmed he had only 106 votes a day earlier?

In what appears to be the clearest evidence that he has indeed lost his legitimacy, Mr Muhyiddin has today (August 13) offered some “cheap candies” to the Opposition, in exchange for their support so that he could continue to cling to power. The offers of money, positions and reforms clearly demonstrate both bribes and the desperation of the backdoor prime minister. The proposal includes:

- Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim will be given a Senior Minister position

- Implement “Undi 18” to allow a lower voting age of 18

- Opposition MPs to chair half of the Special Parliamentary Select Committee

- Pass laws to limit a prime minister’s tenure to two terms

- Table an anti-party-hopping law to prevent elected lawmakers from switching sides

- An equal allocation of funds to all MPs, including the Opposition

- A commitment to consult with MPs before the tabling of bills

If Mr Anwar, armed with the powerful 88 MPs in the Pakatan Harapan coalition, decides to blindly accept the proposal, then he is stupider than he looks. If Muhyiddin was sincere and not power-hungry, why not he resigns and supports Anwar as the next premier, and in return, Anwar promotes him as a Senior Minister with a commitment to execute all the reforms, plus a bonus to lock up Najib?

In fact, the proposal was so ridiculous and insulting that only a retarded person will care to consider it. As a Senior Minister, not only Anwar will be on the same level as four other Senior Ministers, he will have to report to “turtle egg” Deputy PM Ismail Sabri. Heck, Anwar may even have to indirectly report to Senior Minister Azmin Ali, who betrayed Anwar and his PKR party last year.

Would it not be easier and wiser to join forces with Mahathir last June, and becomes the Deputy PM, rather than make one big round only to end up as a Senior Minister now? Which part of Math that says Sabri with 31 MPs can become Deputy PM, but not Anwar with 88 MPs? Even now, Anwar can easily become Deputy PM by offering the “Iron Throne” to Sarawak-based GPS.

Even if the de-facto Opposition leader is dumb enough to accept the proposal, what is there to prevent Muhyiddin (who betrayed his own democratically elected Pakatan Harapan government last year) from breaking his promises? Will sucker Anwar cry and run to the Palace, complaining to the King that he no longer supports the liar PM and asks for justice again?

If Muhyiddin has no problem tricking and scamming – dozens of times – even Agong and his nine brother rulers, you don’t need a rocket scientist to tell that the entire proposal screams “SCAM”. It was already a red flag when the illegitimate premier said those reforms will only be implemented if the vote of confidence for him is passed – suggesting that he could refuse to honour the promises thereafter.

In truth, reforms like lowering voting age to 18, limiting prime minister’s tenure to 2 terms and passing anti-hopping-party law can be done even without the Opposition joining the government. They would gladly vote for those reforms from the opposition benches. To use the reforms as bargaining chips only exposes the lies and hypocrisy of the regime, who had claimed previously that they cannot be done.

The simple fact that Muhyiddin is offering the “bribe” now, only after his regime has collapsed, speaks volumes that the Perikatan Nasional regime needs the Opposition more than the Opposition needs the backdoor government. Without the Opposition, it’s game-over for the regime. But that does not necessarily mean the UMNO crooks will automatically be back in the driver seat.

Therefore, it’s hilarious when the desperate PM said that it was critical to ensure that the group of “kleptocrats” does not return to power. Muhyiddin conveniently forgot that it was him, who happily invited the UMNO crooks – Najib and Zahid – to the extent of offering them bribes and positions in order to form the current backdoor government. Why did Mahaiddin sleep with the “kleptocrats” the entire year of 2020?

But the most pathetic part of the drama was when he claimed that he cannot resign as no other MP can prove they have parliamentary majority support. He said – “If I resign now, according to the Federal Constitution, the whole Cabinet has to resign too. This means that the Perikatan Nasional government will fall. As no other MP has the majority at this time, a new prime minister cannot be appointed,”

“If a PM cannot be appointed, then the Cabinet cannot be appointed and a new government cannot be formed. What will happen if the political crisis prolongs? Who will ensure the vaccination program runs according to schedule?” – said Muhyiddin, who bragged as if his super bloated Cabinet of 73 ministers and deputy ministers had ever done any meaningful jobs at all.

Who is he to say and assume that other Member of Parliament cannot prove they have majority support in the Parliament? It’s beyond his scope and expertise to worry about that. For now, he has lost the majority of the August House so he must resign. It’s the King’s job to decide and appoint an MP whom he believes command the majority support in Parliament as the prime minister.

Muhyiddin’s blabbering on the TV looked exactly the same like former PM Najib Razak, who claimed after the stunning defeat of the Barisan Nasional government in May 2018 that no party has won enough seats to form a federal government. But at least the crook admitted that it would be up to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) to decide who will be the 7th Prime Minister of Malaysia.

If Muhyiddin is so cocksure that no other MP has a bigger majority than his backdoor Perikatan Nasional, there should not be any problem for him to resign, and get appointed again by the King, right? Yes, pro-Muhyiddin fanatics have been whining, screaming and bitching till foaming at the mouth that even with 100 MPs, Muhyiddin still has the biggest majority.

Therefore, they happily claimed, Muhyiddin will still lead a so-called minority government or caretaker government, whatever that means because there isn’t such a provision in the Constitution. If that’s true, then why the need to burn midnight oil and start pulling hair about the inevitable collapse? Would it not be great pleasure to resign, only to get appointed as prime minister – twice?

More importantly, if the Opposition foolishly agrees to the proposal, they would essentially be sucked into the orbit of the “Kerajaan Gagal” (failed government) – forever tainted with the clueless, incompetent, U-turn, flip-flop and double standards regime. Surrounded by 73 clueless ministers and deputy ministers, there’s very little Senior Minister Anwar – a lone ranger – could do.

Crucially, the Opposition – Pakatan Harapan – will indirectly recognize or legitimize the backdoor government if they swallow the hook, line and sinker. They won’t be able to explain to their voters why they corrupted themselves with a bunch of monkeys who only open the zoo’s gate now after 17 months of mishandling Covid-19 pandemic and mismanaging the economy.

Like it or not, the Opposition needs a clean start, or at least leads the government, instead of being led by the same group of clowns. With about 1½ years before the 15th General Election, it’s better to let UMNO rebels clean the shit, if they could miraculously maintain the current fragile Perikatan Nasional government, than for the Pakatan Harapan to recklessly jump into the toxic waste.

The problem with Mahiaddin is not only his unforgivable treachery and hunger for power. It’s his untrustworthiness hanging around his neck. It was bad enough that he had betrayed and stolen the people’s mandate in the “Sheraton Move”, which triggered the collapse of his own government so that he could become a prime minister. It becomes worse when he could even lie and usurps the powers of the King. - FT

cheers.