by Terence A Anthony
Originally published for Greater Malaysia, June 2015
Note: It felt like an old episode re-run. Like Anwar Ibrahim, Muhyiddin went down the same path by getting fired by their premier. Like Anwar who went out on a political crusade with his own party, he was quick to be appropriated as a symbol for those dissatisfied with the current administration.
However there is more to be seen in the man and he shouldn’t be automatically hailed as a hero. This was written prior to him forming BERSATU.
The scenario sounded familiar. A Deputy Prime Minister sacked for speaking out against the premier. In what was reminiscence to Anwar’s sacking in the 90s, Muhyiddin just received the (re)boot.
Datuk Sri Najib Razak, emulated his current nemesis, Dr Mahathir Mohamad and consolidated power to small circle. Mahathir took over the Finance Minister portfolio while Najib Razak made 4 more jabs against another 4 ministers and gave the portfolio to those who were investigating him.
The Attorney General was told to step down in such a “convenient” moment. “Health reasons” was the card this time. People would buy into it at any other time, but they just had to choose a moment when tension is paramount. He could possibly be prosecuting against the Prime Minister in the future.
Zahid Hamidi then became next in line to the throne. He described his situation as a “calling from God.” Critics were wary of his statement, reminding social media that this was the man who called the “three line” underworld his friends.
This was despite the gang being considered by police to be one of the more dangerous gangs in the streets of Kuala Lumpur. Netizens were quick to point out that if Najib falls, we have a gangster friendly Prime Minister, ready to take the helm.
All of this was a repeat of the 1998 sacking of Anwar but now, on steroids. We heard this many times about sequels; it needs to be bigger, flashier and more expensive.
More like Underwood than Superman
When public interest on Malaysia’s sovereign fund, 1MDB reached its peak, Muhyiddin started speaking out against the regime. In a leaked video from an UMNO event had him calling for the 1MDB board to be fired. It was behind closed doors, but he doesn’t seem bothered with the public knowing his sentiments.
Netizens echoed his sentiments and showed their support. Sarawak Report continued to fan the fire and became a casualty in the process. The satirical site Fake Malaysia News ran a piece titled “Malaysia Welcomes the Return of Muhyiddin’s Balls.” When he was sacked, twitter exploded with comments telling him to continue the good fight. Muhyiddin is suddenly the new hero of Malaysia.
More started to follow the Muhyiddin bandwagon when KiniTV posted a leaked video of him saying that he once asked why there was 2 billion ringgit deposited into the Prime Minister’s public account. As if it was carefully curated PR campaign for a big budgeted block buster, the video was short and merely teased the minimum amount of information but enough to get the crowd hungry.
It was as if all of his pass sins were wiped away. Muhyiddin was on the very same cabinet that led to the formation of 1MDB. He was part of the group that elevated the Terengganu Investment Authority into a national endeavour.
At this point, it could be that he has been speaking out against Najib in good faith. Maybe he was honestly worried about the missing 42 billion. However this then begs the question, why only now? If he has access to all of this information in the past, then why keep quiet. He seems to know more but he has been releasing them bit by bit.
With trust deficit in the government at an all-time high, Muhyiddin shouldn’t be free from suspicion. His actions resemble closer to a man taking an opportunity to usurp power when his boss is wounded, just like Frank Underwood from the Netflix series “House of Cards.” After all, he was supposed to be next in line for the throne.
Anwar Ibrahim’s Trust Deficit
Some opposition members were open about cooperating with Muhyiddin in the future. However, they also need to be reminded what image the opposition could carry.
They need not look further from their own former opposition leader. Several years after Anwar was removed from the cabinet by Dr Mahathir, he then formed his own party. Other former UMNO members joined him in his fight.
Understanding that he could not win on his own, he formed a coalition with PAS and DAP. However not every Malaysian was on board with him. Despite the success in the past few general elections, he was painted as a person who was only out for revenge. A man seeking reparations from what he thought was an unfair termination from his post.
The coalition, known as Pakatan Rakyat was perceived as a marriage convenience, whose aim was only to take down UMNO with policies on the side line. If UMNO was the main dish, actual reform was the side dishes. They may look appealing, but it is not the fuel that drives the machine.
Hence, it became easy fodder for UMNO to call Anwar a mere disgruntled former employee. That same picture can be painted with Muhyiddin in the future. His credibility can easily be tarnished, especially when he can be easily pointed out as an opportunist, wanting to grab the Prime Minister seat.
If the opposition were to be taken seriously in the future, cooperating with Muhyiddin should only be in uncovering the scandal. At least in the past, Anwar Ibrahim was never caught up in racist gaffes. That could at least cushion doubts on his honesty. Muhyiddin on the other hand has his career built with questionable rhetoric.
Muhyiddin is not a hero, but just a witness in a questionable regime.
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