Sarawak Report’s revelation that the new PM8’s close friend and collaborator is a suspected carrier of the coronavirus Covid 19 who has mingled with each and every one of the new government collaborators over the past few days is a stark reminder of neglected duties.

Until Friday before last, the governance of Malaysia had been proceeding smoothly. Smouldering issues relating to transition plans were put to rest in the course of that day by an announcement by the leaders of the ruling coalition about the agreement that Anwar Ibrahim would leave it to Tun Mahathir to set the date, mentioned to be after APEC in November.

A looming pandemic was by then focusing the attention of all responsible world governments and leaders. Malaysia is closer than most countries to the source of that threatening virus, which is China.

However, ambitious folk in PH and desperate schemers in the minority parties of PAS and UMNO were instead wholly focused on their own political schemes and ambitions. The following day, as we now all know, they sprung their coup attempt on astonished colleagues in PH.

Azmin Ali set up his parallel conference near the Bersatu meeting where his fellow conspirator Muhyiddin set about a planned mugging of then prime minister Mahathir to persuade the countries leader to abandon his partners in a solid majority government and hitch fortunes with PAS and UMNO. Speakers and a podium were set up to announce the hoped for desertion.

It didn’t work, but by then these wreakers had achieved the main objective of the opposition forces who had put them up to it, having set the cat amongst the pigeons at PH.  There were rows and fights and an injudicious moment of resignation by the prime minister, which fatally weakened his position and gave the real movers behind the scenes (the sharks of UMNO) their chance.

The Agong appointed Muhyiddin as PM8, despite the fact that he commands a lamentably small following, far short of the clear majority being demonstrated by the now regrouped PH. What a joke!

During all these days of political pandemonium who was managing the threat of Covid 19? Clearly the medical professionals have been doing their best, but where were the country-wide announcements and guidance lines, reassurances and all the rest?

Certainly, it was the last thing on the minds of the political plotters from the minority groups, who now cling onto office having not even tested their numbers in the parliament itself. Many of their leading lights are vulnerable sick elderly men – they should have been paying attention to the virus and not vain ambition.

So, it was with a wry form of karma that many have received the news that most of these characters have been in at least indirect contact with a confirmed victim of the disease as they hugged and kissed each other in congratulation over this weekend.

The Joke Continues

PM8 is reported to have cut down meeting anyone beyond necessary officials over the past hours, presumably as a result. Yet the joke continues.

Today, two of the biggest kleptocrats facing criminal charges in Malaysia (Zahid and Najib) got themselves excused from their court hearings on the basis that they needed to confer with the new PM8 over the formation of his new cabinet, which they plan to dominate.

Yet, with PM8 out of circulation, prosecutors are now believed to be protesting to the courts that they were misinformed by both men. Neither of them went to meet with PM8.

The temptation might be to laugh, except everyone can see the seriousness of the consequences of such paralysis, deceit and mayhem wreaked by a leadership with a fast evaporating following and faced with popular fury at the coup.

This is a government of chaos, based on lies and made up of suspected criminals, that has displaced an organised, functioning majority government that until just ten days ago was fully equipped to provide the leadership necessary to deal as best as possible with Covid 19.

The deceit and counter-deceit continues. Yesterday, the former chief cheer leader of the Najib government produced an extraordinary Tweet to undermine his former boss. RPK has been rumoured to have been cut off the payroll in recent weeks by Najib, if so was this his revenge?

Mahathir’s people deny this alleged press conference statement. However, the once loyalist RPK has raised just one of the issues troubling the minds of most Malaysians as they contemplate the return to government of a bunch of hyenas whom the population united to turf out of their lives at the last election.

Najib’s former bodyguard has indeed recently claimed the ex-PM did order him to perform the killing on Altantuya and that he had warned the woman would plea for mercy being pregnant. It adds a dark twist to the string of crimes alleged of the man Malaysians rejected at the last election, yet who has returned to the driving seat through this backdoor coup.

Yesterday, Bersatu member Dr Mazlee Malik himself laid out exactly why he had decided to desert those of his colleagues who had joined the coup by the now PM8 and return to the majority under PH 2. This was his statement:

I fully acknowledge that I was toeing the party line and was loyal to my President up until the very moment he left the Palace…
But as I sat there in Tan Sri Muhyiddin’s house with UMNO leaders, I felt a deep heaviness in my heart. My conscience weighed heavily on me. These were men whom I knew were involved in corruption. I had personally encountered these cases, some of which had not yet been revealed to the public. As Minister I had inherited so many cases from abuse of power to corruption and fraud. The amount of money stolen was staggering, it is an amount that many Malaysians will never see in their entire lifetimes. What’s worse was this money was meant for the children and for all Malaysians. From the poorest and most marginalized of children to vulnerable and disenfranchised workers – I was still trying to clean up this mess after nearly two years of being in office.
So I asked myself, can I accept these people? The very people whom the rakyat had voted against and who had yet to face justice? The answer was no, I simply cannot and must not accept them.
My family, friends, voters from Simpang Renggam and supporters came in streams pleading with me in one voice, “Please don’t betray the rakyat, don’t let our sacrifices go in vain” and I prayed to Allah asking for His guidance.
At 4pm yesterday, my conscience was clear. Although as a ‘party-man’ I had initially supported Tan Sri Muhyiddin, ultimately, I simply could not let down the people who had faith in me.
The rakyat has clearly decided in the last General Elections and that decision needs to be upheld and respected.
Clearly, they did not vote for an UMNO-BN regime. Clearly, they are fully against a kleptocratic regime ridden with corruption.
Many have asked about my personal stand in this crisis with some even calling me a blind follower, or ‘lalang’ following the winds of change.

The worst irony of all relating to this joke government is that waiting on the sidelines, aghast at such disruption, is a majority group of elected leaders who have reunited following this malign minorities coup attempt and are ready to restore government to the country, but the King won’t yet see them.

It is time for the jokes to end and steady head to call an end to all this fun and games when the country faces such a crisis. Maybe, the last joke will be on the plotters… if PM8 sees the writing on the wall and rejoins his former allies. Malaysia would be safer for it.