PANICKED OR NOT, ANWAR SCURRIES OFF AS KHAIRY TAKES HIS 'FTPA' BULL BY THE HORNS - WHY NOT ALLOW NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE TO BE TABLED SO LONG AS THERE'S A LETTER FROM 15 OR 20 MPs - THIS BYPASSES BIASED SPEAKERS & PREVENTS CHALLENGES FROM TAKING PLACE OUTSIDE PARLIAMENT
Written by Stan Lee, Politics Now!
KUALA LUMPUR (Politics Now!) - Former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin has taken the Anwar bull by the horns, so to speak.
To avoid political instability and unnecessary polemics, why not Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim green light a plan that allows a no-confidence vote to be tabled in Parliament so long that it is backed by a letter signed by 15 or 20 MPs.
This would put to rest the concerns felt by both the public as well as the Opposition that a non-impartial Speaker would block such a motion if he felt Anwar would lose - while at the same time avoid challenges from taking place via sworn declarations of support presented by Members of Parliament to the King, such as those alleged to be about to take place in the controversial 'Dubai Move' conspiracy.
“To validate the government's legitimacy, challenges should only come through Parliament, not through alternative means like Langkah Dubai or sworn declarations," Khairy said this on his podcast 'Keluar Sekejap'.
"My concrete suggestion to the Speaker and Law Minister is to require a letter signed by 15 or 20 MPs for such a motion to be debated."
He was responding to the proposal of a Fixed-Term Parliament Act first mooted by Anwar's deputy Zahid Hamidi, and backed by the Pakatan Harapan ruling coalition, although other allies in the unity government such as Sarawak's GPS have objected - warning against the perception that Anwar was trying to rule by "coercion". Others in the government also warned against seeming "desperate" and trying to install a "dictatorial government".
Khairy too rejected the plan, which the corruption-tainted Zahid had said was to 'prevent political manipulations and ensure national stability' amid red-hot rumors of a move to unseat Anwar by presenting sworn declarations of support to a yet unnamed PM-candidate to the King to replace the unpopular Anwar.
Such moves have in the past taken place so as to avoid being blocked by an unfriendly Speaker, who is usually a loyalist of and nominated by the incumbent PM.
DUBAI MOVE SCARE CONSPIRACY
Analysts and the PN-Pas main opposition bloc have also questioned the FTPA proposal, arguing that beefing up the existing Anti-Hopping Act would be the logical next move and far better than to introduce a new law.
Indeed, the unusual level of heat and scorn that has greeted the FTPA has forced Anwar to backpedal furiously - as accusations mounted that he was trying to use the Dubai Move scare conspiracy to ram through his own plan to stay in power until the next general election in 2027, if not longer.
“We have not discussed it yet. It would be a bit premature (to comment),” Anwar told reporters today.
“There has been a suggestion, but to me, it is not a priority.”
Written by Stan Lee, Politics Now!
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