Will Zahid become DPM?

 

Many people have asked me this question, "Will Zahid Hamidi become deputy prime minister (DPM) under Anwar's Unity Government?" 

        As it is, I think it is premature to ask this question as Anwar has just said that he will consider all views, and make his decision soon. 

        No one knows the answer at this point in time. However, there are several points to take into consideration:

(a) Further Abuse of Power? As pointed out by some, not appointing Zahid could mean that the government could again collapse, as Anwar would be painted as one who does not keep his promise. After all, they would say that, it was Zahid who pushed for a unity government with Pakatan Harapan (PH). 

As it is, some of them, including Umno Youth treasurer Johari Yazid, have already voiced this out. Umno has yet to learn that it is the rakyat that have given PH the mandate to introduce reforms as soon as possible in order to bring the country forward. 

Going for cabinet or even GLC posts is not the culture within PH, as exemplified by DAP adviser, Lim Kit Siang in the last PH government. Until today, PH has been very quiet about who should be given ministerial posts. 

Based on lessons that can learnt from history, there is no guarantee that anyone appointed as DPM at this juncture will ensure that there is no backstabbing later on. Even when Dr Wan Azizah declined the Seri Paduka Yang DiPertuan Agong's offer to be the Prime Minister, she gave way to Dr Mahathir Mohamad instead; yet, when Dr Mahathir was Prime Minister, he was one who caused the collapse of the people's elected government. 

Most Malaysians have no problem to see even an Umno president made a full minister or DPM; however, we would be concerned that, given the powers as DPM, it is creating opportunity for anyone holding the post to interfere with the court case. 

This same measure should also go, unfortunately, for MUDA president, Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman and DAP chairman, Lim Guan Eng, that none of them should be given ministerial posts that could influence the judiciary process.  

(b) Flip Side of the Coin. The above is one scenario. However, if Anwar eventually appoints all three of them into his cabinet, there is the other side of the coin that we must consider as well. 

For example, in the case of Lim and Syed Saddiq, I have my doubts about their cases as it was obvious to me that these cases were politically motivated. This is just my opinion, but I believe most of us want justice to take its course as both defence and prosecution present their facts in court.  

Bad precedence? Anwar also has to consider that if he sets the precedence of not appointing Zahid, Lim and Syed Saddiq to the cabinet now because of the pending court cases, in future, in order to cripple the Opposition, all that the government of the day needs to do is to charge its opponents and allow the case to drag on in court until the next general election. 

Onus should now be on the defendant to expedite their cases in court, instead of allowing these cases to drag on. Having said that, I think it is wiser for all three to battle it in court first.

(c) Most important consideration. Making Zahid as DPM would be too far stretched as there are 40 corruption charges in one case involving Foreign Visa. The case is pending appeal by the Attorney-General's chambers.

There is another 47 criminal breach of trust (CBT), corruption and money laundering charges involving Yayasan Akalbudi, which has yet to be decided by the Kuala Lumpur High Court. 

The unity government's reputation would be tainted worldwide if Zahid were appointed as minister or DPM. News flashing across, "Anwar appoints Zahid as DPM" would be the talking point, with some questioning Anwar's credibility. 

(d) Let the cases end first. Until the court cases are cleared, Zahid should reject a ministerial post just like the PH counterparts. Instead, he should focus on proving his innocence to the court. 

After all, we have never seen Zahid committed to reforms while being in government. This unity government is set up with the people's mandate and we want fairness to all, including Zahid, Lim and Syed Saddiq. 

At least in the cases of Lim and Syed Saddiq, they have proven themselves to be very focused on reforms during their 22-month administration in Putrajaya. 

If Lim's case involved the purchase of his bungalow at a special price, in my opinion, he should not even be prosecuted. However, when the case involved a major project that runs into the millions, he has to better prove his innocence in court. Same with Syed Saddiq. 

            The bottomline is we want a credible administration, which means that the trio should stay away from holding any senior positions for now. 

            Instead, with their expertise, they can serve in councils which advise the ministers. When there is another cabinet reshuffle, they should be on the top priority to fill the posts. 

Post Script:

However, upon reading Prof Tajuddin’s arguments I have a tendency to agree with him. May his wisdom prevail:

https://mysinchew.sinchew.com.my/20221128/accepting-zahid-as-dpm-is-not-an-issue-anymore/