YOURSAY | Muhyiddin increasingly a prisoner of Umno

YOURSAY | ‘The extortion has started. This is how Umno rules.’

Sabah Umno to seek PM's consideration if request for positions ignored

Kim Quek: By hinting what the two Sabah Umno MPs may otherwise resort to in a parliament where Perikatan Nasional (PN) has only a razor-thin majority, Sabah Umno is virtually hanging the Sword of Damocles over Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s head.

But how to play ball with Sabah Umno’s demand for plum positions for their leaders in the federal government when they are hardly qualified – Bung Moktar Radin, aiming to be Sabah Federal Development Department chairperson, is still on corruption trial, while Mohamad Alamin, aiming for a deputy minister, is but a freshie MP of only two months?

To give in to such unreasonable demands would be degrading to Muhyiddin’s premiership, but to refuse may invite catastrophic consequences.

This incident, which is by no means isolated, illustrates how vulnerable Muhyiddin’s leadership position is and how unpredictably gloomy is the future of this Muhyiddin-led coalition.

Anonymous 2413471460628504: That is why it is so bile inducing to listen to those who engineered the downfall of Pakatan Harapan that they did it in the "national interest".

We know it was not and the last two months is just one continuous incident after another showing us how they lied.

Anonymous_be07867c: The extortion has started. This is how Umno rules. It doesn't matter if the lawmakers have brains but instead must support the leader to satisfy a party like Umno.

This infighting will hopefully ruin the mostly Malay/Muslim backdoor government before the next GE15 and soon the traitors will know their fate.

Anonymous_1544340881: My gosh, an open threat to PM8 (eight prime minister) to consider his situation in Parliament.

What else does this mean other than (a) PM8 is hanging by a thread - his majority at most is razor-thin (if at all) and that (b) unless he plays ball and gives in to basically blackmail, he might not get their votes.

Was PM8 so desperate to become PM that he switched camps, betrayed his friends, broke his word and joined people who he himself said are crooks who plundered the country for this - to be PM but threatened all the time? Obviously, he is a lame duck PM.

We see, I suppose, also the quality of Bersatu leaders who joined him just to get ministerial posts and how hopeless they are - from Doraemon giggles to TikTok competitions to the politicisation of food aid during this crisis, and the hopeless Ministry of International Trade and Industry (Miti) on how it addressed the Covid-19 movement control order (MCO) and its impact on businesses.

This is really a cautionary tale not to go to bed in an adulterous relationship with crooks and the greedy, who have no desire to serve anyone but themselves.

Former PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad was right because he saw he would be at the mercy of Umno/PAS.

Soon we will see PM8 humiliated, I think. All for nought because when the time is right Umno/PAS will break free and call for elections.

They may or may not win, but Bersatu almost certainly would be wiped out.

Anonymous 2413471460628504: The two Sabah MPs want positions to get closer to the people? Utter nonsense.

Even as basic MPs, one can always serve. In this crisis, we should all, especially MPs since presumably that is their job description, be thinking about how to serve and alleviate the rakyat's suffering.

Instead, Sabah Umno can only think about getting better positions. Quite shameless. What has happened to our vaunted Asian culture - not calling attention to oneself, not asking for position/money, etc?

They need to look at the Health director-general (DG) and learn some humility. And their constituents need to wake up and stop voting for such persons who has no qualms shouting that they are in it for themselves.

GooseNBanter: This is really unbecoming for so-called ‘leaders’ of communities in Sabah. You are down to begging for ‘positions’?

"So we are pleading, even if we can't get it during this ongoing MCO period, we ask that after the MCO the prime minister gives us just one position so that we can get closer to the people," Kota Belud Umno division chief Awang Fadli Juana told Malaysiakini.

True leaders never leverage on power or position to lead. They inspire others and build on trust to gain follower-ship.

Clever Voter: Yes, blatant crudeness has replaced the subtle lobbying. It's what's in for me. These are political rats. They need quick returns as they know they won't last.

Fair Comments: Indeed, these are very selfish politicians who have no genuine intention to serve the rakyat except craving for government posts.

We already have a bloated cabinet paid for by taxpayers. These politicians should realise that the government is in a very weak financial position and can ill afford to fatten these people with more political appointments.

Anonymous_1578627575182.61741578627189265: It’s fairly easy for Muhyiddin to settle Sabah Umno’s grievance.

Just like PAS leader Abdul Hadi Awang, appoint them as special envoys with ministerial rank. One can be appointed as special envoy to South America (including Antarctica), another as special envoy to North America, yet another, special envoy to European Union and lastly, special envoy to African countries.

Boeyks: Why complicate the real issue? Just ask for the charges to be dropped.

If you are convicted, what use is the position demanded? After the charges are dropped, then you can get another government-linked company (GLC) to head.

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