YOURSAY | ‘But once this is over, the internal bickering will start again.’

Ismail Sabri appointed 9th prime minister

BusinessFirst: Yes, I am sure Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s appointment as prime minister is greeted with universal dismay here and elsewhere and, if not dismay, then doubt and trepidation at the very least.

Nothing he has touched in his career has distinguished him, and indeed if it was noteworthy, it was for negative reasons.

However, this political crisis is an internal Perikatan Nasional and Umno crisis. As a group, they have the numbers. Pakatan Harapan is the bogeyman for them. No matter what, in the end, they will close ranks. But once this is over, the internal bickering will start again.

To buy some time and space, Ismail Sabri will probably, if he were smart, throw some crumbs at the opposition. Perhaps some status for the opposition leader, call a confidence motion, amend the rules to make calling it slightly easier, some allocation for opposition MPs - cheap and easy stuff. But then, back to normal.

No Undi18, no committee roles, no constitutional changes. The persecution will continue. The shady deals and lack of transparency will continue. The incompetence and indifference to Covid-19 and the suffering of ordinary people will be more of the same, praying that vaccination will cure all.

The only hope for real change will be fresh elections.

Kailash: The thing that baffles me is that Bersatu, who did not want to work with the court cluster, used the court cluster to bring down the legitimate Pakatan Harapan government.

The court cluster, in return, backstabbed Bersatu to get Umno the PM's seat. Now, Bersatu supports Umno, together with the court cluster, to shuffle the PM's post to Umno.

All these two steps forward, two steps back are happening under the shadow of all-time high Covid numbers in the country. Disgraceful power-grab at the cost of lives and livelihoods decimated.

Newday: So be it. The support of 114 MPs is far less than the majority Harapan had at the 14th general election (GE14).

Harapan has to seriously and quickly sort out its leadership issues and get its alternative policies and initiatives in place. Reach out to the villages, in a Covid-safe manner, of course. Chart your course between now and GE15.

As for Ismail Sabri, a failed SOP minister is now PM; can we expect more of the same inconsistencies as before? Can we expect yet another cabinet of people, not there for their abilities, but there because they signed a statutory declaration and expect their pound of flesh?

I really hope not. Time will tell. Just remember, time is running out for Malaysia.

My wife and I, who are dissatisfied and extremely depressed, will be watching ever so closely. Impotent at this time we may be, but it will not stop us agitating for a real, all-inclusive Malaysia.

Vijay47: The usual reaction when a new national leader emerges is that the people, whichever side of the divide they are on, forget past rivalries and come together hopeful of the fresh direction they are setting out on. They do not expect to reach nirvana but surely a better world.

So for us now that leader is Ismail Sabri. But he does not fill me with hope and excitement. On the contrary, I do not even feel despair, all I feel is indifference to what the future holds for me and my family, for all Malaysians.

Yet I cannot blame Ismail Sabri personally for my hopelessness, not when I reminded that he comes from a coterie whose members’ only concern was their own well-being and grip on power. There is no consolation whatsoever that some were perhaps less guilty.

Racial and religious emphasis will continue hurtling into the chasm. This would be the effective lifeline any leader from any race-and-faith-based party will desperately clutch on. The sheep have been appropriately indoctrinated, this approach has always worked, it would also work for Ismail Sabri.

All Things Considered: This reminds me of my previous organisation where the most incompetent, the most corrupt, and the most conniving get rewarded and promoted, while the genuinely good ones are cast aside. This is playing out at the national stage. Oh, I cry for you Malaysia.

If the current top Harapan leaders are still not able to muster the required support, they should give way to other leaders.

MS: The fact which gets reinforced by this latest appointment is that Malaysia's professional politicians, their enablers, benefactors, and beneficiaries (all multimillionaires and billionaires) have not the slightest interest in ensuring that only the smartest, most competent, most ethical, and most respected nationally is made PM.

All the characters who assumed the post since Hussein Onn have proved that. And yet, each one relishes the thought of being referred to as YAB… despite knowing that the honorific only refers to the position rather than the person.

Ismail Sabri gained notoriety following the Low Yat Plaza fracas involving a thief followed by his screaming anti-non-Malay bigotry which trended on social media.

Does anyone expect him to act honourably and decently as a prime minister for all Malaysians and work towards healing this horribly fractured country?

FairMalaysian: The system Ismail Sabri had inherited and also was/is part of can never institute reforms. Malay leaders of Malay parties thrive on patronage and it will be difficult for them to sustain support if they try to change or abandon that patronage system.

When Abdullah Ahmad Badawi tried, he was forced out. When Hussein Onn tried, the same fate awaited him. Onn Jaafar's attempt also received brickbats from none other than Tunku Abdul Rahman's group.

It will be hard to imagine anything of substance to come from Ismail Sabri if his past is anything to fall by. Even by some remote chance if he wants to, Umno's system will not allow it.

Headhunter: Don't lose heart, Malaysians. There's always a silver lining in such tragedy. Based on his past record, the new PM is likely going to mess things up even more. You'll have your chance soon in the next GE to change the situation. Use the opportunity wisely then.

As for the opposition, pull up your socks and work on your strategies now and not wait for the new regime to blunder. Tell us what you are going to do if you become the government. Work on your manifesto now for us to evaluate and not wait until election time to write one.

And don't be blinded by setting your sight on a sole leader. To attract younger voters, move some of the younger leaders up the ladder to replace the older ones, who deserved a well-earned rest.

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