Expect political manoeuvrings in next few days, say DAP trio

SIBU (July 9): Democratic Action Party (DAP) lawmakers here expect lots of political manoeuvring will happen in the next few days following Umno’s Supreme Council special meeting Wednesday night which retracted the party’s support for Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

“Nobody at this point of time knows what is going to happen. However, one thing is clear-cut and that is, Muhyiddin has already lost the support of the rakyat and it is time for him to step down,’ Pelawan assemblyman David Wong said when contacted yesterday.

Wong said the people are now struggling and what matters to them is how to solve the Covid-19 pandemic that has taken a heavy toll on the people’s livelihood and economic recovery.

He said Muhyiddin had clearly failed the people when despite the six months Emergency which expires in August, the number of Covid-19 cases continued to soar very high with no end in sight.

“There is no improvement at all we can see in his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and definitely, it is time for him to step down. What will happen next, nobody will know. The situation is very fluid now.”

Wong, however, did not discount the possibility that the Pakatan Harapan (PH) could return to become the federal government which it won with a clear mandate in 2018.

“Whether Umno and PN will work together to form the federal government is still anybody’s guess. But I can say lots will happen although nothing is certain.”

Bukit Assek assemblywoman Irene Chang felt that Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had lost the moral ground to talk about good governance but the five points he had raised on the failure of PN government was right on the mark.

“All eyes are now on each Umno elected representative to see if they stand together with their party decision or would they abandon ship and hence tilt the numbers in favour of PN or opposition,” she said.

For Sarawakians, she said it would be interesting to see how Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) will handle the present happenings.

“If all 38 Umno members rally behind their party decision, we can expect GPS to fall into the opposition camp again. But whichever side they may choose to support now, they have obviously lost their kingmaker status.

“It is now a political crisis. It might cause the government to be dissolved and hence force an election when the country is still trying to control the pandemic.

“This would be catastrophic to the people and economy as an election would undo all the efforts of the health authorities and all frontliners in battling Covid-19 for the past year.”

Chang said GPS should have seen this coming since they chose to back a government with no mandate by the people, especially an unstable government.

“Now the question is what is the best way to cushion our people from the health, economic and social repercussions that may follow.”

Sibu MP Oscar Ling said it is a matter of time before the PN government will collapse, and is just waiting for formality.

“Now I can say it has officially collapsed.”