LETTER | Why not Muhyidddin as prime minister?

LETTER | “A House divided against itself cannot stand.” These words are from Abraham Lincoln as he began his campaign for the senate seat in Illinois, are just as true today as they were nearly 160 years ago.

We have a new Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, a man who has served the nation for more than 40 years. His last post was deputy prime minister and minister for education till July 2015 when he was unceremoniously sacked for speaking about 1MDB.

This may be history but let me ask which Malaysian in politics to date has had the courage to stand against a sitting prime minister knowing that there was every chance that he would lose his position and the power that goes with it? The easier option would have been to go along and also be responsible for bringing Malaysia to its knees.

How quickly we Malaysians forget. And how ungrateful we can be. We forgot that this man who was sacked was responsible for the “revolution” in the political scene in 2018. We forgot that PKR has been trying to win the elections for 15 years without any success. 

 It was Muhyiddin who spurred the nation into wanting a change. Even then he was happy to have Dr Mahathir Mohamad as prime minister and then Anwar Ibrahim to take over after two years. That was the deal. We forgot that the infighting in PKR has been so relentless and that was why the previous government we Malaysians had fought so hard for - failed.

So why not Muhyidddin as prime minister? Does he not have the capability or experience of running the government? If he was capable of being the deputy prime minister, why not prime minister?

It is common knowledge that Muhyiddin has never been a threat to any prime minister and that is the reason why he has been thrown under the bus three times before as the PM of choice.

The problem with Muhyiddin is that he is reticent, a thinker, a man who is deeply religious. He is not egoistic or charismatic and he does not smile very much. Malaysians are so used to being conned by rhetoric that they have forgotten what real leadership is all about. 

Let’s not also forget that he has suffered and survived a dangerous illness and has found the strength to serve the nation in one of the worst times in the history of the world. How many leaders do we know have gone through what Muhyiddin has gone through for the past five years. Please stand up and be counted! Is it not Allah’s will that he is the chosen one?

This man understands who we are as Malaysians. He understands that we all come from different cultures and we all have a shared dream that our differences are not flaws but better because we are different.

For once the naysayers are frustrated because there is stability. Malaysians are able to see political stability. There is a plan to keep Covid-19 at bay. Our leaders are not perfect, but if they can prevent themselves from being selfish and do what true leaders should do, we will survive and thrive.

In the English language version of the Quran (Penguin Classic, 1968, translated by NA Dawood) there is a chapter (No 35) entitled “The Creator” the last paragraph of which states:

“If it was Allah’s wish to punish men for their misdeeds, not one creature would be left alive on Earth’s surface. He respites them till an appointed time. And when their hour comes, they shall know that Allah has been watching over all His servants.”

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.