COMMENT | Theoretically, the longevity of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government ranges from maximum 38 months to 11 weeks, if Dr Mahathir Mohamad can pull more people and deny him a working majority when the Parliament reconvenes on May 18.

My guess is it will be in between the two extremes, hinging on three factors that will be explained below.

With the rising Covid-19 outbreak and the on-going US-China trade war, PN comes into power in one of the most trying times for Malaysia. If external factors have contributed to Pakatan Harapan’s less than satisfactory performance in economy, on top of its own shortcomings, they are unlikely to be kind to PN.

Harapan had some under-performing ministers who were chosen because of the party hierarchy and demographic quota...