What hope is there?

Ho-hum. So much hot air for days over on who should be the candidate for the prime minister post in the event of a Pakatan Harapan government, and for the moment - the fissures in the coalition still can’t be plastered over.

Some clarification comes with PKR digging in their heels and saying its party president, Anwar Ibrahim, is the man for the job, suggesting a role for Dr Mahathir Mohamad in the government is open for discussion.

A case of once bitten, twice still not shy, but to be bitten a third time would give the impression they were hopeless idiots incapable of learning.

Possibly in apropos, I thought of Goldfinger explaining to a captive James Bond how his cover was blown: “Mr Bond, they have a saying in Chicago: 'Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time, it's enemy action'.”

Now, what is DAP, Warisan and Amanah to do? DAP has been accused of amnesia over Anwar’s years of friendship with the party, in supporting a hat-trick of PMs for Mahathir. Warisan and Amanah too, have indicated their preference for Mahathir.

The picture turns surreal when one factors in the reality that for the moment Mahathir and his supporters are no longer members of Bersatu.

Their lawyers have filed an ad-interim order to note that they had not enough time to submit an actual interim injunction challenging the nullification of their party membership. We are in for a long legal haul here (is there any other?) – two interims at the start, and we haven’t even come to the appeals and counter-appeals, medical leave, et cetera.

In the meantime, Mahathir is party-less.

In a harmonious balance, he is not alone. Former PKR deputy president Azmin Ali and his gang of nine are still party-less too. Bersatu has counted them as members – except for the technical oversight of them still not having filled in and sent in their membership forms. Perhaps they are busy testing the comfort of their new seats of power and forgetting this mundane chore?

This clerical oversight spawned a rumour, quickly scotched, that Azmin and gang were forming a new political party.

Hey, why not? We already have 37, what’s another one?

For that matter, Mahathir could form another party – we can never have enough political parties defending the rights of the downtrodden, disadvantaged majority.

The realpolitik may be hard to swallow, but Mahathir’s assertion that a Malay party has to be part of Harapan Plus has weight. There are parts of society whose world view is through a racial/religious lens.

But does it have to be the leading, governing party?

Must balance the picture again, a symmetry of minorities, like Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin (below) feeling the pressure of numbers, with Umno breathing heavily at his shoulders?

Mahathir says he will use six months as prime minister to groom his successor in the ways of the office. Anwar in tuition class for six months, with homework? Cram in what wasn’t done in the two years when they had their hands on the levers of power?

Assuming that’s the timeline (and PKR has relented), what will happen is that Anwar becomes prime minister, and will immediately chart his own course away from the shadow of Mahathir, showing he is his own man… at last.

I agree with Mahathir on one point: "So if we want to choose a prime minister, the candidate is not important. Winning (over) the majority (in Parliament) is what is important.”

That’s the crux of the matter. Leaving aside personal/political preference for prime minister, can either Mahathir or Anwar deliver enough bums to occupy a majority of seats in Parliament in July?

Who got how many? If one can claim a majority, fine. If both can’t count on a majority, this is a waste of time, with the cost of a souring of the coalition – sensitivities trampled on, prickly pride puffed up.

I end on a note to readers of Malaysiakini who have been injudicious in their comments, leading to editor-in-chief Steven Gan having to get all togged up in a suit to wear in court so people won’t think he’s there for stealing petai.

It’s just a matter of perspective, a matter of being positive about life. A recent court acquittal was evidence of a corruption-free society. Surely something to cheer, not jeer. - Mkini

✍ Credit given to the original owner of this post : ☕ Malaysians Must Know the TRUTH

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