How Zahid Hamidi shot himself in the foot and accidentally exonerated Muhyiddin
In the latest episode with regard to the brouhaha about Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and his 115 statutory declaration (SDs), UMNO president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has entered into the fray to give his two cents worth about the matter.
Previously, the Barisan Nacional (BN) chairman has been silent, content to just let his lieutenants do the talking.
But I suppose the issue regarding Muhyiddin and his 115 SDs has exploded to such an extent that now the UMNO chief himself is feeling compelled to step in and quell the kerfuffle.
So how did the UMNO chief fare? In my humble opinion, Zahid has fumbled very badly in handling the matter because at the very outset itself, he looks like he has scored an own goal.
So how did Zahid shoot himself in the foot as he took aim at Muhyiddin?
To put it simply, while aiming to discredit and dismiss the Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman’s claim that he had the support of 115 MPs at the aftermath of the 15th general election (GE15), Zahid has inadvertently verified Muhyiddin’s claim instead.
How did Zahid do that? Well, he started off by saying that although Muhyiddin had 115 SDs as he claimed, 10 of the SD’s cannot be counted, hence the latter only had 105 MPs supporting his bid to form the next government which was insufficient.
In other words, Zahid himself has agreed that Muhyiddin indeed had 115 SDs of support from 115 MPs just like he had earlier claimed.
Zahid scoring an own goal?
To make things even worse, when Zahid explained why 10 of the SDs that Muhyiddin had cannot be counted, his explanation could have actually made a reasonable man believe that the 10 SDs should have actually been counted instead of discounted from Muhyiddin’s tally.
This is so because according to Zahid, there are three reasons why the 10 SDs from UMNO and BN MPs shouldn’t have been counted in favour of Muhyiddin.
His reasons are that prior to the election, each BN parliamentary candidate had three documents which (1) grant full authority to the BN chairman to form the government or create a coalition; (2) state that the seat that the candidate won belongs to the party; and (3) highlight the RM100 mil penalty if the candidate defect or support another party.
“These three documents were signed with video recordings in front of a commissioner for oaths and three lawyers. So, how can anyone dispute the actual situation when the numbers are insufficient?” Zahid then asked.
Well, to answer Zahid, just because something is signed with a video recording in front of a commissioner of oath and lawyers, that doesn’t make it legal.
For example, if I can find a dodgy bunch of lawyers and a commissioner of oath who will agree to witness me signing an agreement with you on terms that if you are unable to pay me the RM100 that I loaned you by next month, you must be my slave for a year, that agreement cannot be considered valid because it infringes on a higher law, which says that slavery is illegal in the country.
Counter arguments
In the same manner, our Federal Constitution, which is the highest law in the country, has clearly stated that it is up to the 222 MPs in the Dewan Rakyat to choose the Prime Minister who is fit to govern the country, not any party leader.
Considering that, Zahid cannot just usurp the rights and powers of the MPs which is granted by the Federal Constitution to the MPs just by making them sign an agreement before some lawyers and a commissioner of oath.
The second agreement which says that the seat that a candidate won belongs to the party instead of the MPs is likely null and void even at face value because it really should be self-evident that the seat that that a MP wins in an election belongs to the MP, not the party or the president of the party that he/she belongs to.
The third agreement, which says that an MP must pay a RM100 mil fine if they defect or support another party – as despicable as it is in – does not mean that the MPs cannot support the candidate of another party as the PM.
It just means that they have to pay a RM100 mil penalty if they support another party’s bid to form the government.
In other words, the 10 MPs’ support for Muhyiddin should have still been considered as valid even if their action puts them at risk of having to pay a RM100 mil to UMNO and BN later on.
Thus far, those who have taken an offensive stance against Muhyiddin in the 115 SDs’ case is likely just shooting themselves in the foot.
Muhyiddin, on the other hand, is likely revelling in the controversy. He is gaining relevance and credibility the more that this issue becomes hot. – FocusM Aug 23, 2024
Nehru Sathiamoorthy is a roving tutor who loves politics, philosophy and psychology.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
