Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim lost Cabinet Reshuffle opportunity for partyless Cabinet and government of national unity, winners take all, losers lose all!
Commentary And Analysis . . . Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, putting tail between wobbly legs on national unity, glossed over Cabinet Reshuffle based on the mythical “Prime Minister’s List”. There was no unity government for hung Parliament as decreed by the Agong after GE15 last November.
We won’t get into the winners and losers. Let party leaders across the divide speak up and speak out on the Cabinet Reshuffle or forever hold the peace. Having said that, if the Cabinet Reshuffle was all about Anwar, the prognosis may not be that good for former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak unless the Johor Sultan, as new Agong come 31 January, steps in.
Anwar did not exercise prerogative and discretionary powers, based on the Constitution, in making up the Cabinet.
There had been expectations that one MP from MIC and two MP from MCA would be involved in the Cabinet Reshuffle. It’s not known whether BN (Barisan Nasional) Chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi made any recommendations. BN, if in peril, imperils Umno.
MIC should clear public unease on remarks Anwar made before GE15. The wannabe PM charged that “MIC leaders are all very rich but many Indian are dirt poor, even poorer than poor Malay”.
Anwar swore that he would go after the rich MIC leaders. So far, nothing has happened on the impossible wealth held by MIC leaders.
Anwar remains at the mercy of leaders of the parties in government and, even worse, the Opposition which harps on the 3Rs mindlessly. The 3Rs, for those unfamiliar reads “race”, religion, royalty.
Cabinet Reshuffle
Interestingly, royalty will come into play when the no nonsense Johor Sultan ascends the singgahsana (throne) on 31 January. The Sultan, based on comments in the media, will not tolerate “lawmakers behaving like monkeys” instead of serving the people.
Unity Government
God forbid if the Agong arranges for Cabinet meeting at the Istana and, in pushing the envelope further, presides over it. Then, the real Cabinet meeting at the PM’s Department can endorse the consensus during the Istana meet.
The new Agong will more than rap the Prime Minister on the knuckles if he falls back on vague wishy washy promises and harps ala chameleon on Islam Islam Islam and Palestine Palestine Palestine. Old habits die hard. The leopard cannot change the spots.
If shove comes after push, the Agong may, can and will fall back and Invoke Article 39 and assume executive authority. The National Operations Council (NOC) can act under Agong’s name via the Director of Operations. Anwar will be left out, becoming fish out of water, as the Cabinet ceases existence as the NOC comes in. More on the Cabinet Reshuffle later.
The Prime Minister may find himself posted, on his own accord, in the West Bank as trouble shooting Ambassador-at-Large. He can help channel aid for the Arabic-speaking people who dream of Palestinian nationhood in the form of 2nd rump state. That’s more up Anwar’s street.
Everyone knows that Anwar has been championing the plight of the Palestinian, here and there and there and here. The swollen veins in the neck stick out during hysterical outbursts in public.
All the wars fought between Israel, Palestine and Arab nations are in this link . . .
Anwar Mercenaries
Anwar will find that the 1st rump state was in 1948 but Israel seized 80 per cent of the Biblical Holy Land. The 1st rump state was left with 20 per cent of the land. There’s no law against Anwar organising mercenaries for fighting Israel and its zionist backers, and taking back the land in its entirety. If Palestinian don’t risk losing even more land, the Jew will probably be driven into the Mediterranean Sea i.e. if they don’t seek refuge in the diaspora created by the Roman Empire.
Palestinian, for what it’s worth, was codified as administrative term by the Roman Empire based on old Greek usage for Philistinian immigrants who vanished in the Gaza Strip. The Philistinian speakers came from southern Phoenicia in present day Lebanon.
There’s no Palestinian language.
Palestine has never been nation-state in history.
There were no Arabic speakers in Palestine during the Roman Empire. There were probably pagan nomadic Bedouin (desert dweller), speaking dialect, in Palestine. Before 1948, both Hebrew speakers and Arabic speakers in the Biblical Holy Land were known as Palestinian. It was about people, not nation-state. The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) created Palestine as nation-state in 1948 i.e. at the same time as Israel the other nation-state.
Land Lost
The UNSC, in separating Palestine as rump state and Israel as Jewish state, gave Arabic speakers 80 per cent of the land, while the Hebrew speaking Jew were left with 20 per cent of the land.
Israel has taken the position that “the loss of land remains the only language the Palestinian can understand”. That’s the supreme insult. The Jewish state, explaining its occupation of 80 per cent of the land, cites international law on conquest after unprovoked war. It simply means that Israel won’t return any land.
Except for the international law on conquest after unprovoked war, there can be no other law on the matter, unless perhaps there are special circumstances. Borders, under international law, must be defensible. Otherwise, as seen in Bangladesh, Tibet, Palestine and Ukraine, the international community would be helpless.
Arabic speakers make up about 20 per cent of the population in Israel. Those who declare themselves Palestinian can, may and probably will be stripped of citizenship rights. They risk being bundled into bus headed for the West Bank. It’s one way ticket. There may be no right of return even in coffin. The deportees caught in Israel risk being dealt with harshly by the state. It’s not uncommon, being bashed, during police custody.
Also, torture and murder cannot be ruled out. Even cultivated land may be stolen by Jewish settlers taking the cue from historical accounts in the Holy Bible, the Word of God, on the spiritual nature of truth. The Torah, the Jewish Bible, and the Old Testament of the Holy Bible are one and the same. Jew, however, rejected Jesus and the New Testament, and allegedly manufactured all sorts of stories in the Talmud which isn’t part of the Jewish Bible.
Fog Of War
Already, the wannabe Palestinian have long alleged even before the fog of war following 7 October that Israel acts with impunity on human rights. Again, they risk torture, being killed, and having the land stolen. Hamas attacked international musical festival in the desert in southern Israel on 7 October. It’s not clear how many people were killed and how many were taken hostage. So much for Anwar in Palestine.
Earlier, there had been widespread speculation and legitimate expectations that the Prime Minister would use the Cabinet Reshuffle and form partyless Cabinet and government across the political divide. That meant exercising prerogative and discretionary powers.
It would have been personal to holder.
The Cabinet Reshuffle could have done away with the age-old practice where leaders of parties in government dictate on the make up of the Cabinet. The Prime Minister cannot afford having Cabinet Ministers who don’t owe their position to him.
He must have the complete loyalty, undivided, of Cabinet Ministers.
The Prime Minister would be the sun, radiating great energy and power in the form of light and heat, as the lesser mortals revolve around him, basking in the glow.
The leaders of Opposition parties would be rendered equally redundant as their lawmakers line up for positions in the partyless Cabinet and government.
Again, it’s personal to holder.
Getting The Boot On TV
Cabinet Ministers who push the party line, whether in government or Opposition, risk being unceremoniously given the boot on national TV as the Agong looks the other way.
The partyless Cabinet and government concept would end once and for all the form of rotten politics which thrives on pitting people against each other.
Xenophobia, prejudice and hate would all end once and for all.
If heinous practices — read 3Rs — continue, Opposition party leaders risk losing lawmakers permanently. They may announce support for the Prime Minister and no doubt seek re-election under a new platform and/or as Independent, or under the PH/BN symbol.
Their track record would stand them in good stead. — NMH
Longtime Borneo watcher Joe Fernandez has been writing for many years on both sides of the Southeast Asia Sea. He should not be mistaken for a namesake formerly with the Daily Express in Kota Kinabalu. JF keeps a Blog under FernzTheGreat on the nature of human relationships.
Facebook Comments
Facebook Comments