News of Muhyiddin as likely Malaysian PM met with elation and dismay

It appeared that Muhyiddin Yassin would garner the support of at least 130 MPs, more than the 112 majority needed to command the confidence of the 222-seat Parliament. PHOTO: ST FILE

KUALA LUMPUR - As news trickled on Friday (Feb 28) that Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia's president and former home minister Muhyiddin Yassin looked most likely to be Malaysia's next prime minister, reactions ranged from the devastated to the elated.

After six days of political twists and turns, by 7pm Friday it appeared that the former Johor chief minister would garner the support of at least 130 MPs, more than the 112 majority needed to command the confidence of the 222-seat Parliament.

Party leaders including Umno's Hishammuddin Hussein, Sabah Chief Minister Shafie Apdal, who heads the eastern state's Parti Warisan Sabah, Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan and Bersatu's Mustapa Mohamed were seen at Tan Sri Muhyiddin's house in Kuala Lumpur's leafy suburb of Bukit Damansara on Friday evening.

There was no official confirmation of Mr Muhyiddin's status as of Friday night, and the King must still meet with political party leaders to ascertain who they will nominate as their prime ministerial candidate.

But some Malaysians have already taken to social media to express their shock over signs that the incoming government could comprise the same politicians currently facing dozens of charges of corruption and criminal breach of trust, including those related to the 1MDB financial scandal.

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who has a record 87 charges against him, is slated to be the next deputy prime minister, after his party pledged to support Mr Muhyiddin, 72, as prime minister.

Twitter user iawnaek wrote : "In the name of Malay pride some people have forgotten that Malaysia was once nearly bankrupt because of Umno."

Twitter user klubbkiddkl wrote: "At the end of the day, Azmin Ali, Muhyiddin Yassin and especially chedetofficial have sold the country back to Umno."

Former Parti Keadilan Rakyat deputy president Azmin exited the party with 10 other MPs on Monday, heralding the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition. Chedetofficial is interim Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's Twitter account.

"This is like a bad movie. Umno, which has so many leaders charged with corruption and criminal breach of trust, cannot be allowed to come into power again," freelance copywriter Florence Lim, 54, told The Straits Times.

"How can they appoint a person with the highest number of corruption charges? It's a conflict of interest. All this for the sake of so-called race? Pakatan Harapan worked so hard to collapse the corrupt elites," said legal officer Jasmin Ghazali, 38, referring to Datuk Seri Zahid.

Voters at the May 2018 general election chose to change the government for the first time in over six decades, opting for reformist PH over the Umno-led Barisan Nasional (BN).

But if Mr Muhyiddin becomes prime minister, Umno is set to return to government as it will be the largest party amongst those that support him.

"That's the end of the Reform. Let the traitors, crooks and kleptocrat run free again," said Facebook user Jeevandra Sivarajah.

For others from the country's Muslim-Malay community, the prospect of having Umno, and its Islamist ally PAS, in the administration is an improvement over the previous government which they see as having sidelined the community's rights and privileges.

"Praise God... For religion and race we accept the decision of the leadership of BN. As long as the DAP is not in power," read a comment by a Mr Hassan Ahmad on Mr Zahid's Facebook page, referring to the Chinese-dominated Democratic Action Party, the largest party in PH that has been accused of being anti-Malay.

There were more comments along the same vein.

"Praise God... may the Malays and Islam be defended for the struggle of a Malaysia that is at peace without DAP," wrote Mr Ishaari Jalil on the same Facebook page.

Meanwhile all eyes are on electoral watchdog Bersih 2.0, which had warned early on in the political crisis that the "formation of any backdoor government must not be tolerated and cannot go down without any form of protest".

The group, which organised massive street rallies in 2015 and 2016 calling for former prime minister Najib Razak to step down over graft allegations, will hold a media conference on Saturday to announce its response to this latest political development.

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