Will a snap GE15 really solve the problem?

Those who think a snap GE15 is going to end up with Pakatan Harapan in collaboration with the anti-Muhyiddin group in Umno winning 135 or 140 Parliament seats are in denial. A snap GE15 will end up with Pakatan Harapan in collaboration with the anti-Muhyiddin group in Umno winning less seats in Parliament than they have now. That is the reality.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he does not understand why Najib Tun Razak needed RM2.6 billion to finance GE13. He only needed RM1.5 billion when he was the Umno President and Prime Minister, said Mahathir.

Najib then replied that the RM2.6 billion was not entirely spent for GE13 but included the cost to finance party activities or political activities.

So, both Mahathir and Najib admitted that general elections cost Umno and Barisan Nasional RM1.5 billion, and if including paying for party activities or political activities, the cost will double to RM3 billion or so.

And that is why politics is a rich man’s game and only millionaires can become political warlords — on both sides of the political divide.

In fact, internal political battles can be even more expensive than general elections. Anwar Ibrahim spent RM600 million to oust Deputy Prime Minister Tun Ghafar Baba, RM200 million in Sabah alone. Then there were the “pink forms” he gave out to the Ketua Bahagian and Umno delegates (which many bankers during the 1990-1993 era can testify was rampant).

Those “pink forms” did not cost Anwar anything. However, the trust agencies — including ASN-PNB — “lost” hundreds of billions in shares that should have gone to them but did not. Even Rafidah Aziz complained about the billions worth of shares that were given to “Bumiputreras” but just ended up being sold.

These so-called “Bumiputeras” which Rafidah complained about were, in fact, “Umnoputeras” who helped make Anwar the new Umno Deputy President and Deputy Prime Minister. Overnight, the Umno warlords became millionaires and millionaires became multi-millionaires — and Anwar became Deputy Prime Minister.

Even Mahathir lamented about the money politics or political corruption in Umno in his “cash is king” condemnation of Umno. But was that not Anwar’s doing, the man Pakatan Harapan wants as their Prime Minister or PM9?

Anwar turned Umno into a cesspool and this is the man who is supposed to “save Malaysia”? What is wrong with these DAP and Pakatan Harapan people?

Anyway, instead of blowing RM2.5 billion or RM3 billion on a snap GE15, would that money not be better spent to help those facing hardship and financial difficulties during this on-going Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic?

These anti-government people say the rakyat are facing difficulties and need help. They whack Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin for not doing enough to help the rakyat who need financial help. And yet they want to waste RM2.5 billion or RM3 billion on a snap GE15. Where is the logic in this?

They argue that the snap GE15 is necessary to answer the question of whether Muhyiddin Yassin does or does not have the majority in Parliament. They say Muhyiddin no longer has the majority in Parliament and at best has only the largest minority.

So what if Muhyiddin merely has the largest minority in Parliament? The largest minority still makes him the legitimate Prime Minister. That does not nullify his position as Prime Minister. Does anyone else have a larger minority than Muhyiddin — because for sure no one else commands the majority in Parliament?

And do they really think a snap GE15 will resolve this matter and answer the question of who has the majority?  A snap GE15 will, at best, end up with a hung Parliament. Most likely, though, a snap GE15 will end up with Muhyiddin still winning the largest minority with the balance being split two or three ways.

In short, what we see today will be the same as what we will see if a snap GE15 is held. And it is going to cost the country RM2.5 billion or RM3 billion to find out. There will be no change pre-GE15 and post-GE15. Perikatan Nasional is split into the pro-Muhyiddin group and the anti-Muhyiddin group while Pakatan Harapan is split into the pro-Anwar group and the anti-Anwar group.

And that is why a snap GE15 is not going to resolve the matter and will just unnecessarily cost billions.

Those who think a snap GE15 is going to end up with Pakatan Harapan in collaboration with the anti-Muhyiddin group in Umno winning 135 or 140 Parliament seats are in denial. A snap GE15 will end up with Pakatan Harapan in collaboration with the anti-Muhyiddin group in Umno winning less seats in Parliament than they have now. That is the reality.