1MDB PM Najib and Umno-led BN’s fear of a united Opposition front fast coming true

1MDB PM Najib and Umno-led BN’s fear of a united Opposition front fast coming true

Former Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has sent what appears to be the clearest signal that the Opposition political parties in Malaysia could unite as a force against the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) in the next general election (GE).

This was what malaymail.online posted today:

“KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 14 — Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) will work together with the federal opposition to help free Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, but its president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said they must gain federal power before they can do so.”

To many Malaysians, that is a sign of political hope, there’s light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak.

However, it is still a long way for Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Pribumi) and Pakatan Harapan (comprising DAP, PKR and Amanah) to strike an electoral pact to ensure that GE14 will see only three-corner or straight contests.

The Islamist PAS, led by the Umno-friendly Hadi Awang, left Pakatan in February 2015 following a spat with DAP over the implementation of Hukum Hudud (Islamic criminal law) in Malaysia.

With PAS still issuing statements in support and in defence of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) Prime Minister Najib Razak, it looks unlikely that it will work with Pribumi and Pakatan to do electoral battle in GE14.

This means PAS would be contented to be a “loner” in GE14 as an Opposition party and a spoiler in splitting the Opposition Malay votes to favour Umno and BN.

GE14 is only due in March 2018, but Najib now has the power and right to call for a snap general election anytime he so wishes.

Political developments and realignments in Malaysia remain fluid and anything is possible because Malaysian politicians generally embrace the popular position that there can be no permanent friends or enemies in politics.

For PAS, it is still possible for it to rejoin BN for GE14 or even work with Pribumi and Pakatan, though extremely remote because Pakatan is extremely suspicious of PAS, especially DAP and Amanah (a splinter party of PAS).

If Pribumi and Pakatan are able to strike an electoral pact and agree on seat allocations for GE14, then Malaysians can expect three-corner fights between BN, PAS and Pakatan/Pribumi.

If there is no pact, then Umno and BN are expected to win more seats in GE14 compared with GE13 due to multiple-corner electoral fights and split of Opposition votes.

At the moment, a big political hurdle looks to have been cleared - Anwar the political icon who is languishing in Sungai Buloh Prison.

It is going to be a very exciting and interesting run-up to GE14 for Malaysians, with many twists and turns by political parties and politicians.

This is what former deputy Umno president Muhyiddin was reported to have said:

"Muhyiddin: Pribumi to help free Anwar, but needs power to do this

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (pictured) said the opposition has to gain power before Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim can be freed. — File pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 14 — Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) will work together with the federal opposition to help free Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, but its president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said they must gain federal power before they can do so.

Muhyiddin said he has received requests from the public to help secure the release of the imprisoned PKR de facto leader, and now claimed to feel “deeply saddened” by Anwar’s time in prison.

Anwar was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment for sodomy while Muhyiddin was still deputy prime minister.

“We need a radical reformation of the electoral system in order to set all Malaysians free.

“Only if there is a change of leadership, will we be able to determine Anwar’s fate,” he was quoted saying yesterday by local daily New Straits Times.

He added that there must not be an expectation that the current prime minister would free Anwar.

“If we can agree that setting Anwar free is an important goal, then we can come together to reach a consensus on this matter when we form a new government,” the sacked Umno deputy president said.

He also reportedly said that a change of government and removal of all leaders from the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition was required to solve problems.

PPBM is seeking Anwar’s blessings for the fledgling party to work with the latter’s PKR.

The party’s chairman, former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, had put in an unexpected appearance in court as a show of support for Anwar, whom he sacked as deputy prime minister in 1998 and had vilified since.

Anwar’s daughter, Nurul Nuha, told Malay Mail Online that Dr Mahathir must apologise to her father for previous transgressions before her family would consider cooperating with him.

On February 10, 2015, Anwar was sentenced to five years’ jail after the Federal Court upheld an earlier Court of Appeal ruling that reversed his acquittal of sodomising former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/muhyiddin-pribumi-to-help-free-anwar-but-needs-power-to-do-this#sthash.HB9B2NAv.OKlIu3mb.dpuf"