LETTER | Thrown into unprecedented turmoil, the country needed a saviour. The rakyat had had enough; their voices won’t be silenced anymore. When the crisis threatened to spiral even deeper, a soft-spoken yet enigmatic figure emerged to fix the destruction caused by the past regime; a regime that he himself was a part of. But he was of a different mould. For this was the man of the rakyat and the will of the people was what he delivered.

No, this is not the story of Muhyiddin Yassin "saving" Malaysia from unprecedented political turmoil. As the Bersatu leaked recordings suggested, how can he be our saviour when the hullabaloo was all his own planning?

On the contrary, this is the story of the late BJ Habibie (above, right), the beloved third president of the Republic of Indonesia who held the unwanted record of being the shortest term president in the country’s history. However, as things unfolded, his one year and 150 days presidency proved to be the most important turning point in the history of the republic.

How Pak Habibie became president shares an almost similar narrative with how Muhyiddin became prime minister. Just like Muhyiddin, he was the second in command of a kleptocratic, corrupt and oppressive regime that had systematically robbed the rakyat for decades. Hand-picked as vice-president by Suharto in his ‘New Order’ in March 1998 amidst the infamous Asian Financial Crisis and growing unrest in the republic, Habibie was thrust into the presidency just a few months afterwards. Violent street protests that erupted across Indonesia forced Suharto to step down and left the gargantuan task of uniting the nation in Habibie’s hands.

Seen as a Suharto loyalist and just another Javanese elite of the kleptocratic New Order, Pak Habibie defied expectations and did the unthinkable. Throughout his short tenure, he laid down reforms and the very foundation of democracy that has since prospered. Traces of nepotism and cronyism were swiftly eradicated with his new cabinet that saw Suharto’s eldest daughter and even his longtime friend getting the axe. Moreover, 100 political prisoners were given amnesty and press freedom was reinstated after decades of censorship.

Well, Habibie was dubbed Indonesia’s "Bapak Demokrasi" for a reason. It’s fair to say that his presidency singlehandedly corrected the authoritarian path the republic has taken under Sukarno and Suharto by creating a free parliament and free presidential elections. Most importantly, he sanctioned independent committees to draft less-restrictive political laws and put 10-year term limit for future presidents.

Speaking of which, a two-term limit for the highest executive’s position was part of Pakatan Harapan’s reform plans for Malaysia too. However, just like other "Save Malaysia" reforms brought forth by Harapan (and Muhyiddin too, mind you), it was all derailed by a parliamentary coup.

Under Habibie’s guidance, Indonesia held its first general election in over 44 years, an election in which he never contested as he withdrew his nomination after his accountability speech was rejected by Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat Republik Indonesia (MPR), the republic’s version of Parliament. This turned out to be the end of Habibie’s political career as he chose to retire after successfully paving the way for democracy when he so easily could’ve continued the ruthless dictatorship ways of his predecessors.

Fast forward 22 years later, we can easily draw a parallel between BJ Habibie and Muhyiddin. Both became leaders of their respective nations due to unforeseen circumstances rather than through a democratic electoral process. Both of them had the same opportunities to change a nation but went about it in completely opposite directions.

Unlike Muhyiddin who used the Covid-19 pandemic as a smokescreen to lockdown Parliament, Habibie let democracy flourish and refused to continue his presidency without properly getting the nod from the MPR.

While Habibie used his presidency for necessary democratic reforms, Muhyiddin used his premiership to derail the reforms that were underway which he himself promoted before. In fact, if the Bersatu leaked recordings were to be believed, nepotism and cronyism are firmly ingrained onto Malaysia’s "new normal" with support being blatantly bought over via positions in the cabinet and GLCs. Furthermore, the recent acquittal of Malaysian controversial figures in their high- profile corruption cases also hints at a compromised justice system that would not look out of place in Suharto’s New Order era.

It seems that the more we make this comparison between Habibie and Muhyiddin, the more apparent that Muhyiddin fits more the ilk of Habibie’s direct successor, Abdurrahman Wahid (above, left) - or more fondly known as Gus Dur - rather than Habibie himself.

A leader who is the textbook definition of style over substance, Gus Dur's presidency started with joy and hope from the Indonesian masses. Even his nickname "Gus" is a common honorific for a son of kyai, the term the Javanese use for an Islamic expert. The long time president of Nahdlatul Uama, this was a man from a religious background which could incorporate verses from the Qur’an and Islamic prayers seamlessly inside his speeches and conversations. Sound familiar?

Gus Dur’s use of humour to diffuse tensions and command control over the room is comparable to how eloquent Muhyiddin’s speeches are. Ultimately, however, both are nothing more than noise from an empty can.

Gus Dur’s presidency ultimately collapsed amid corruption scandals that plagued his presidency. He even attempted to forcefully silence his critics and declare a state of emergency just to avoid facing Parliament. Sound familiar?

We do not know what will come at the very end of Muhyiddin’s premiership but if he were to continue following Abdurrahman Wahid’s footsteps, then Muhyiddin better beware. After endless allegations of corruption and incompetence, the great speaker Gus Dur was impeached by Parliament and stripped of his presidency.

Back in March, Muhyiddin asserted this in his inaugural speech to seemingly universal acclaim: “My conscience is clear and I am here to save the nation from further turmoil.”

He could very well stay true to his words and save Malaysia just how the late BJ Habibie saved Indonesia. Instead, through his actions and the leaked info behind the scenes, it’s clear for all to see that he has chosen to become another Gus Dur. 

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.