Current political crisis preventing any solutions

Alternatively, Anwar Ibrahim could also lay claim to forming a minority government if independent blocks make a similar undertaking to the king. Whoever would become the minority-supported prime minister would no doubt garner the support of some who decide to cross over and be part of the government, in a similar manner to what PH did after winning the 2018 general election, bringing Muhyiddin to power, in February last year.

Another possible outcome could be a similar scenario to what happened in the Perak State Assembly in December last year. Sitting chief minister Ahmad Faizal Azuma, lost a no confidence vote on the floor of the assembly with the opposition PKR and DAP voting with some UMNO members against. The government didn’t fall, but rather only the position of chief minister changed to an UMNO MP, Saarani Mohamed, who kept on the same executive committee (state cabinet). Modeled on this, the pundits are theorizing that Hishammuddin would take over as prime minster, keeping the Perikatan coalition primarily intact.

Finally, with no agreement on who could lead a minority government, the king could suggest that MPs return to him with a proposal for a unity government until the next election, due in 2023. Only a month ago this option was dismissed as impossible. Now this maybe the only workable solution outside a new election. Veteran UMNO politician and prince, Tungku Razaleigh Hamzah, known as Ku Li publicly offered himself as an interim prime minister.

No Real Solution

Any political solution is going to be a rearrangement of the same politicians in different chairs. This will not likely lead to any new solutions of the current economic and social crises. It’s also unlikely there would be any change in the Covid-19 response, as the real manager is the director general of the ministry of health, Noor Hisham Abdullah, a civil servant. Any new group in power is likely to continue to follow his advice.

Any political solution maintaining the power status quo is sure to be unacceptable to the people, especially if there are no, or few policy changes. It’s time for the younger generation of Malaysian politicians to break through as a new voice to change the paradigm of Malaysian politics. The white flags are flying.