By Niza Shimi
It was a work of geniuses. What else can be said when these geniuses left the King little choice but to consent to general elections.
According to a statement issued by the Istana Negara, as reported by Free Malaysia Today (FMT), the Comptroller of the Royal Household Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin said Sultan Abdullah was disappointed with current political developments.
“Therefore, His Majesty hopes that the Election Commission (EC) would hold the 15th general election (GE15) at the soonest available time, considering the northeast monsoon expected in the middle of November,” he said.
Fadil added that Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s audience with the King at noon yesterday (October 9, 2022) was not scheduled.
In a way, the hand of both the King and PM Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri was forced by the action of 12 ministers from the Perikatan Nasional government that went rogue. These 12 ministers had, of their own collective geniuses, wrote a letter to the King.
It had nothing to do with being forced by United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the PM's own party that had been insistent on holding elections this year.
As was reported by New Straits Times on October 6, 2022, the letter purportedly written by the 12 ministers was delivered to oppose holding the 15th General Election (GE15) this year due to the expected monsoon floods.
Sources said the letter, dated October 3, was received by the palace on October 5 and was signed by 12 ministers from (Perikatan Nasional) PN, namely Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) and (Parti Islam SeMalaysia) PAS. The sources said the cabinet was not unanimous in dissolving Parliament.
While the PM had kept everyone guessing and not been clear about when to hold the GE15, the outcome of the letter gave rise to speculation on the legitimacy of his position as PM of what was once dubbed a “backdoor” government.
On the eve of his unscheduled audience with the King, Ismail Sabri was still defensive. A Bernama report on October 9, 2022, quoted him as having insisted that the 12 PN ministers expressing opposition to the GE15 being held this year had nothing to do with the legitimacy of the current government.
That’s water under the bridge now. Ismail Sabri was summoned for an audience with the King on Sunday, October 9 and made his farewell speech and announcement on the dissolution of Parliament in a live broadcast on October 10 at 3 pm.
While some say Ismail Sabri seemed hesitant, the wording of his speech was the most decisive and assertive that he has ever made. It was the last speech of the PM with the shortest term in Malaysian history since he took office on August 21, 2021.
The Sun Daily reported Ismail Sabri having said the period of the 14th Parliament brought gloom to the country’s political landscape as, for the first time in the history of the nation, there was a change of prime minister as well of governments thrice in the same term.
“This had a negative impact on the sociopolitical and economic situation. Nevertheless, the endless bickering among political players was prevented from worsening further by bringing them to the negotiation table to quell the situation,” he said.
So, there we have it. As Ismail Sabri said, the dissolution of Parliament puts an end to the “kerajaan pintu belakang” (backdoor government) and the “kerajaan tebuk atap” (ceiling break-in government). Thanks to the work of geniuses.
Will Ismail Sabri walk in the front door as the legitimate PM given a proper mandate following GE15? That's what we will have to vote and see. May the best man to lead the country win.
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