Friday, July 11, 2008

Pak Lah wants time to finish his projects

When he was Prime Minister of Britain, Harold Wilson was quoted as saying, "A week is a long time in politics". What would Wilson make of the 2 years that Pak Lah has set for the balance of his tenure as PM of M'sia? There are many signs that portend very dark clouds not just for Najib, the PM-in-waiting but, also for Pak Lah himself during this "lame duck" 24 months to come.
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Firstly,MALAYSIAKINI: Ku Li says the handover is unconstitutional in the context of UMNO's own constitution. Ku Li also deftly side-stepped any potential conflict with Najib by saying that the challenge is for the Presidency which will leave Najib intact.
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Secondly,MALAYSIAKINI: Pakatan files no-confidence motion in Parliament which will depend on how Speaker Pandikar Amin rules on whether the tabling of the motion if it is either not specific, not urgent or not a matter of public importance. He, however, did confirm that there can be no call to vote under Standing Order 18, which only allows for an hour's debate on an emergency motion. The likely scenario is a "no go" by the Speaker.
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Thirdly, 2nd liners in UMNO are showing rumblings of discontent. See Muhyiddin: "Some say transition period too long".
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My take on it? Given the current constitutional structure of UMNO that favours incumbents, Ku Li is likely to be left flapping in the wind.
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The "no-confidence" motion is likely to be a no-hoper under the Parliamentary Rules that favours the party in majority.
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Conclusion, I offer Shakespeare's play entitled, "Much Ado About Nothing". But, that is not to trivialise these important political developments. The importance of the correct political leadership is clearly evident when we measure the policy flip-flops under Pak Lah with the terrible certainty of direction under the draconian, benevolent despotism of Dr M. Like a commentator asked me in an earlier blog entry, whose question I now paraphrase, "Is there a third possibility?"

5 comments:

Pat said...

Hi Ben,

I think you are spot on with your take on how things will play out. And I truly hope, that in our next PM, we find someone who walks a 'happy medium' - between Badawi's and Mahathir's cara lah.

Sigh. All I want is no more 'surprising' headlines, the stock market to calm down, and to just go on with my life without so much drama clouding my days.

Pat

Pat

de minimis said...

Hi Patricia

Somehow, I don't think the sensational headlines will stop. But you have to admit that after years of suppression (Shakespeare's "winter of discontent"), this spring flowering of democratic space and voices, toxic as it may taste, is to be cherished.

But I share your sentiments and, I give you Wm. Henry Davies for the good weekend ahead:-

"LEISURE"

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

Unknown said...

He wants to finish a job which he hasn't even begun yet? We can give him another 50 years and he would still be where he is today except maybe his bank account has grown .. hahaha

Anonymous said...

Remember when he said..."it's like 10mins in football, I'm just warming up"...that was 2 years ago

Now 80 mins into the game, "I need more time to score the elusive goal" LOL

de minimis said...

I say RED CARD the fella!