When word first got out that Muhyiddin and Azmin had succeeded with the Sheraton Move 2.0 there was intense speculation as to how Muhyiddin would approach his new position as PM.
One possibility was that he would not give a damn about public opinion and proceed to govern the way everyone feared -- that is, appointing Cabinet members with ongoing corruption cases, appoint an AG who will drop corruption cases against UMNO leaders, implement Ketuanan Melayu policies, etc, etc. The other possibility is that he would go on the charm offensive and assure the rakyat that his would be a clean government and that it would be a government for all, etc, etc.
Turns out he is opted for the second approach. In his inaugural address he said all the right things, which tells us he is in this for the long-run. The first approach, a scorched earth policy, would mean he knows his coalition can't possibly last and he will do what he can while he can. The second option means he wants to be PM beyond GE15.
Apparently UMNO and PAS are playing ball and are also saying the right things, like there should be no dropping of corruption cases and that the PM should have the right to appoint whoever he wants to the Cabinet (with no preconditions set).
It's just a matter of time before Muhyiddin start feeling the pressure from various factions to adopt hard-line policies that his party as well as UMNO and PAS have been spouting all a long. Don't forget, Muhyiddin himself is a self-proclaimed "Malay First" leader and UMNO is all about Ketuanan Melayu while PAS is for implementing hudud and turning Malaysia into an Islamic state.
To quote political analyst Wong Chin Huat: "Now they are in power unchecked by the non-Malays (MCA and MIC will be more yesman than during BN time), their supporters will ask them to deliver changes that Harapan Malay parties had been accused of not making."
Wong adds that this will "hit hardest on PAS, whose supporters may push for implementation of Hudud punishments or closing down of casino in Genting Highlands and the Heineken beer brewery near the Federal Highway."
How will Muhyiddin be a "PM for everyone" when there is so much internal pressure for him to champion Ketuanan Melayu policies?
In trying to do this balancing act, he will probably end up dissatisfying everyone. To the non-Malays, he will be seen as too pro-Malay and to his hardline party members, he would be seen as not pro-Malay enough.
Then, there is the internal political rivalry and bickering that is bound to happen. Already there are reports of murmurs of discontent in UMNO. We have no idea who he will appoint to his Cabinet but it's a safe bet that Azmin and Zuraida will have prominent roles in it. This will not sit well with UMNO and PAS leaders who will surely expect all the plum positions to go to them. This will just amplify over the next few days, weeks and months leading up to the May 18 sitting of Parliament.
As I've said before in previous articles, if Bersatu leaders found it hard dealing with the rest of PH (DAP, PKR and Amanah) which had adopted an appeasement policy that allowed Bersatu to play the dominant role in PH, it is hard to imagine how they will be able to manage dealing with UMNO and PAS, who together via Muafakat Nasional, have twice as many MPs (60) as Bersatu (30).
Bersatu has only known what it's like to play the dominant role. It it not used to deferring to anyone. Guess what, UMNO is exactly the same way. In BN, it was the big brother that everyone kowtowed to. PAS, meanwhile, has never been able to last in any alliance it has been involved in. Put these three parties together and you have a powder keg of epic proportions.
So, yes, everyone will play nice for now and say all the right things. Let's see how this charm offensive lasts.
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