1MDB PM Najib vs Pribumi-Pakatan in GE14 is on!

1MDB PM Najib vs Pribumi-Pakatan in GE14 is on!

With both Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Pribumi)’s Dr Mahathir Mohamad (Dr M) and Muhyiddin Yassin pledge that they would work for Anwar Ibrahim’s release from Sungai Buloh Prison, the road to a united Opposition front is all but sealed.

And this is 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) Prime Minister Najib Razak’s worst political nightmare coming true.

Only the nitty gritty of an electoral pact and agreement of seat allocations need to be worked out by the Opposition to avoid vote splitting in the electoral battles of the 14th General Election (GE14).

Upon striking such an electoral pact, Malaysians will be experiencing an exciting GE14 that will see contests between BN and Pribumi-Pakatan (DAP, PKR and Amanah) and the Islamist PAS led by the Super Umno-Friendly Hadi Awang.

Najib is widely believed to be preparing for a snap GE14 but, will the Dr M-Muhyiddin-Anwar political tag team send the 1MDB boss into hiding?

Will he still have the guts to call for a snap GE14 in December, March, May or June as currently been speculated by political observers and pundits?

GE14 is only due in March 2018 buy Najib now has the right and power to call for GE14 anytime he so wishes.

The more Najib delays calling for GE14 to seek a new mandate from the rakyat (people) to consolidate his premiership, the more united the Opposition seems to be forging.

And Najib does not seem to have a choice but to call for a snap GE14. To go for the full five-year term and then be forced to call for the mandated general election is risky and fraud with much uncertainty. (Read this for context: http://victorlim2016.blogspot.my/2016/09/1mdb-pm-najibs-political-dilemma-to.html)

However, in Malaysian politics, there are no permanent friends and no permanent enemies and that’s what make political developments highly fluid.

In short, anything can happen overnight, and anything goes for the politicians.

But the show must go on, so Malaysians please sit back tight and relax. Don’t tension, please! It’s not good to the heart.

Here’s the two news reports that will not please 1MDB Najib, Umno and BN:

"Pakatan-PPBM unity: Last barrier removed?
Robin Augustin

| September 16, 2016

Political analysts say Muhyiddin's pledge to work for Anwar's release will smoothen the way for cooperation.

PETALING JAYA: The last barrier to cooperation between Pakatan Harapan and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) has been removed with former DPM Muhyiddin Yassin’s pledge to work towards the release of Anwar Ibrahim from prison, according to two political analysts.

Mohamed Mustafa Ishak of the National Council of Professors said the issue of Anwar’s release was “the only thing separating PKR and PPBM” and Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya said Muhyiddin’s statement would result in PPBM being accepted by “many in Pakatan Harapan, especially those in PKR.”

Muhyiddin, who is the President of PPBM, was quoted by the New Straits Times on Wednesday as saying that his party would work with Pakatan to secure Anwar’s release should the opposition succeed in ousting Barisan Nasional from Putrajaya.

Speaking to FMT, Mustafa said the pledge was part of a manoeuvre to ensure PPBM’s acceptance by Pakatan Harapan parties and facilitate cooperation.

He said the same manoeuvre was apparent in former PM Mahathir Mohamad’s recent show of support for Anwar in the latter’s legal action against the enforcement of the National Security Council Act.

He also said Muhiyiddin’s followers were likely to support the move.

Awang Azman, noting that both PPBM and PKR are splinters from Umno, said Muhyiddin’s pledge was a strategic move to smoothen relations between the two parties.

He said political cooperation could not exist without common interests and securing Anwar’s release was a common interest of Pakatan Harapan parties. Muhyiddin’s statement, he added, was a signal that his party had the same interest.

Now that there’s little doubt that PPBM would work with Pakatan, he said, Umno had reason to be worried."

"Dr M: Not the time yet to discuss Anwar’s release

FMT Reporters

| September 15, 2016

Dr Mahathir says they are not in a position yet to make any promises as they are powerless.

KUALA LUMPUR: Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today he feels the time has not come yet to discuss the release of jailed former Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

The former prime minister said no promises could be made about the agenda stated by PPBM President Muhyiddin Yassin and it could only be considered if the party was in power.

Muhyiddin had expressed support for the release of Anwar and pledged to make that the agenda of the PPBM struggle.

Dr Mahathir said: “All plans of the party will come later. Now, we cannot make any promises because we are powerless.

“If that is the desire of all, surely we cannot say no. We will look into the efforts (to release Anwar) later.”

Mahathir spoke to reporters on the sidelines of the 55th annual meeting of the Muslim Welfare Organisation of Malaysia (Perkim).

He also said he had yet to decide whether to attend the Bersih 5 rally on Nov 19 and had no plans as yet to address the gathering.

Dr Mahathir was returned unopposed as Perkim president for 2016-2019.

Abu Bakar Shaari retained the post of permanent chairman by beating Husain Anjang Pulau, a candidate from the Kuala Langat branch.

Meanwhile, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department and Perkim Vice-President Shahidan Kassim said if the Opposition political parties took up the agenda to “free Anwar”, they should also campaign for the release of other prisoners.

“If you want to have Anwar released, then you must also free all the others.

“If the struggle is to release just one individual, what about the plight of the other prisoners?

“Perhaps they (the others) are too small that they escape notice?"