Muhyiddin Yassin should follow Hussein Onn’s example by convening an emergency meeting of Parliament immediately to establish his legitimacy as prime minister, said Lim Kit Siang.
The DAP veteran also said the prime minister’s decision to postpone the sitting of Dewan Rakyat from March 9 to May 18 is a sign of weakness.
“This has been interpreted as a ‘sign of weakness’ that Prime Minister Muhyiddin does not have the majority support of members of Parliament to be a legitimate prime minister of Malaysia.
“The holding of Parliament during the peace month raises eyebrows as it must be the first time in the nation’s history of over six decades that Parliament is meeting during puasa month.
“Why can’t Parliament be convened to end its meeting before the start of puasa month, which is expected to begin on April 25, 2020?” said Lim in a statement.
The Iskandar Puteri MP added the Bersatu president must emulate third prime minister Hussein Onn to demonstrate that he has majority support from the MPs.
Lim said Hussein had convened an emergency meeting of Parliament on January 26, 1976 – just 11 days after his appointment as the third prime minister on the death of his predecessor Abdul Razak to show he has the MPs’ support.
“It was only after a vote of confidence in him as prime minister of Malaysia was passed by Dewan Rakyat on January 26, 1976 that Parliament went on with its ordinary business, with the annual opening of Parliament fixed on March 30, 1976.
“Forty-four years ago, there was no doubt or question about majority support of MPs in Hussein as the prime minister of Malaysia.
“But today, it is very different, as Malaysians, including the fourth and seventh prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, do not believe that Muhyiddin enjoys majority support of members of Parliament,” he said.
Muhyiddin was sworn in as the prime minister on Sunday in what Pakatan Harapan (PH) calls a back-door government.
PH said it has enough support to retain Dr Mahathir as the prime minister although the Yang di-Pertuan Agong had announced that he felt Muhyiddin enjoys majority support from the MPs.
Bersatu’s defection from PH resulted in the collapse of the ruling pact and uncertainties over the prime ministerial candidate saw Bersatu, with the backing of Umno and PAS, forming the federal government.
Dr Mahathir and other PH leaders had urged Muhyiddin to test his popularity in the next Parliament sitting.
However, earlier today, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Mohammad Ariff Yusof said he agreed with the request from the prime minister to postpone the Dewan Rakyat’s sitting from March 9 to May 18. – TMI