Barisan Nasional’s overwhelming victory in the May 7 Sarawak state general election was the reason why the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, could give the green light to the PAS President, Datuk Seri Hadi Awang to prioritise his hudud private member’s bill motion in Parliament on Thursday.
Najib could act in disregard of the views of the other Barisan Nasional component parties and leaders apart from UMNO because Najib believes that there is a a swing-back of support of the Chinese voters to Barisan Nasional in the Sarawak state general election.
The hue-and-cry by leaders of other Barisan Nasional parties apart from UMNO, whether MCA, MIC, Gerakan or the Sabah and Sarawak parties, protesting their opposition to Hadi’s motion pales into insignificance against the backdrop of three factors:
(1) The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Azalina Said Othman would not have stood up after the lunch break of Parliament on Thursday to move a motion to give priority to Hadi’s motion ahead of all government business without the directive from the Prime Minister himself.
(2) The prioritization of Hadi’s hudud motion was a Barisan Nasional decision, as Azalina was a Minister not of the UMNO but Barisan Nasional Government, and this is the first (and clearly not the last time) when the UMNO leaders would decide on behalf of the Barisan Nasional, with or without the consent or knowledge of the other parties in Barisan Nasional.
(3) As the Cabinet meeting on Friday did not repudiate or reprimand Azalina’s action in Parliament to prioritise Hadi’s hudud motion (actually, there could be no repudiation or reprimand as Azalina was acting under Najib’s instruction), a dangerous precedent has been set establishing the hegemony of UMNO in Barisan Nasional, where the other 13 component BN parties have just ornamental roles or value.
What happened in Parliament on Thursday also proved three things:
(i) That UMNO and the other 13 Barisan Nasional component parties have ceased to be trustworthy parties, as they had promised the people that what happened in Parliament on Thursday would never happen, and yet it happened – with no repudiation or reprimand in the Cabinet yesterday against the Minister.
(ii) Although there are 14 non-UMNO and two independent Ministers in the 35-member Cabinet, the non-UMNO Ministers have no real role or value in the Cabinet as their position in the Cabinet is only of ornamental value. The Najib-Hadi agreement to give priority to Hadi’s private member’s bill motion in Parliament on Thursday provided the strongest proof of this sad political reality in Malaysia.
(iii) That UMNO-PAS or to be more exact Najib-Hadi conspiracy to prioritise Hadi’s hudud private member’s motion is being made the biggest issue in the Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar by-elections, so that Najib’s world financial scandal – the RM55 billion 1MDB scandal – could be downplayed and overshadowed, even though there is a world-wide investigation and crackdown against banks and individuals for 1MDB money laundering and corruption offences.
(Media Conference Statement Komtar, Penang on Saturday, 28th May 2016 at 12 noon)
#1 by Bigjoe on Saturday, 28 May 2016 - 2:59 pm
Even the Sarawak Ministers, not to mention the Sabahan too said nothing. What is supposedly different about Sarawak and Sabah BN rule? The opposition goofed not making Hadi’s PAS and Najib working together their no. 1 issue given they could not outresource local issue.
But here is a curious question. Why do ALL Malay parties say untrue things about non Malay parties esp. DAP? The latest is Hadi Awang says MCA, MIC understand Hudud issue even DAP knows it’s not true. Other than showing PAS increasingly UMNO like with religion on their side, why they all say ugly things they want to be true but it’s obviously not?
#2 by yhsiew on Saturday, 28 May 2016 - 3:34 pm
At last, Najib decided to give up on non Malay component parties in BN as he thought it is far easier to build a strong party with PAS (same language and same religion) than with non Malay parties. Moreover, when Umno is allied with PAS, it will become a formidable party representing 67% of Malaysia’s population.
#3 by Bigjoe on Saturday, 28 May 2016 - 6:59 pm
Honestly, all the talk of BN component parties, there is only one that matters – Adenan Satem and PBB. It’s now ALL on their shoulder what to do about Hadi’s PAS and include Najib since Najib do not want to do his job.
Frankly, Adenan simply have to ask Najib to resign. Nothing else will do. – and tell Hadi to take his Hudud bill and take it with him to gets his seven virgin
#4 by boh-liao on Saturday, 28 May 2016 - 9:59 pm
A lot of wayang going on now
An EmSiA kaki in Kedah showed he got big fat balls by declaring he is OUT of EmSiA
BUT, BUT he still wants 2 hang on 2 his government position n does not wish to relinquish his government position
#5 by boh-liao on Saturday, 28 May 2016 - 10:00 pm
A lot of wayang going on now
An EmSiA kaki in Kedah showed he got big fat b@lls by declaring he is OUT of EmSiA
BUT, BUT he still wants 2 hang on 2 his govmen position n does not wish to relinquish his govmen position
#6 by john on Sunday, 29 May 2016 - 7:46 pm
Same tactics being used repetitiously – now, is the hubbub used as leverage and diversionary from 1MDB also.
It will come full circle, at the end usually, except now it can be leveraged as the situation warrants.
Like the recent LGE’s bungalow drama being etched to achieve political mileage and political agenda.