PETALING JAYA: Changes in Malaysia’s political landscape mean there is now no guarantee that a Malay MP would become the prime minister, says Perikatan Nasional chairman Muhyiddin Yassin.
Muhyiddin said one major change took place in the 15th general election (GE15) after no single political party or coalition managed to attain a simple majority to form the government on their own.
The former prime minister said this meant that negotiations had to take place between parties to determine who would be appointed to the top post.
The other major change is the enactment of the anti-hopping law, which Muhyiddin said left elected representatives tied down by their respective party’s decisions.
“In the future, if their party leader decides to support a non-Malay prime minister for whatever reason, the MP must comply. If they don’t, they risk losing their party membership, being forced to vacate their seat and asked to pay millions of ringgit in compensation.
“Therefore, (in such a situation) a non-Malay would become prime minister and the Malays would not be able to do anything even if they do not want (a non-Malay prime minister).
“Previously, the (democratic) system guaranteed that a Malay would become prime minister. But with the political changes that are taking place rapidly in our country, that guarantee is no more,” he said in a statement.
Muhyiddin’s statement follows Bersatu Youth chief Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal’s call for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to use his two-thirds majority in the Dewan Rakyat to amend the constitution to ensure that only Malays can helm the top post.
The Machang MP said this was fair since there is an understanding in the “social contract” that Malays are expected to “always lead in politics”.
Anwar dismissed the proposal for the constitutional amendment saying it was unnecessary, as every prime ministerial candidate from Merdeka till now has been Malay.
Muhyiddin said while the Malays are in the majority in Malaysia, they only get to elect their MPs, who then determine who becomes prime minister.
The Bersatu president said while the King has the discretion to appoint a prime minister, this authority is not absolute, based on the Federal Constitution.
“The King cannot appoint someone who does not have the confidence of the majority (of MPs) to become prime minister.”
He acknowledged that the constitution does not explicitly state that the prime minister must be a Malay.
The Pagoh MP said this was not a matter of dispute in the past as the concept of power-sharing practised by the Alliance party, and then Barisan Nasional, was that Umno would lead the grand coalition.
“When Alliance/BN won general elections, it meant that the leader of the party, namely a Malay MP from Umno, would be appointed as prime minister. That’s what happened for 13 general elections in this country.”
Muhyiddin said his PN coalition would continue to champion the rights and interests of the Malays and Bumiputeras, as well as the “legitimate interests” of other races, based on the constitution.
