Najib gripes that UMNO is blamed for the third wave of Covid-19 pandemic in Malaysia when it was solely the fault of Bersatu
Malaysia is now in the midst of an unprecedented political tornado.
The next six-and-half weeks will see plots, sub-plots, counter-plots and counter-sub-plots emerging from the woodworks over the shape and form of the government of Malaysia – as the present backdoor Muhyiddin government which emerged from the byzantine Sheraton Move conspiracy lacks the legitimacy, capability and resources to be an effective government.
This is why in the first public pronouncement by the former Prime Minister and UMNO President, Datuk Seri Najib Razak since he was toppled in the 14th General Election on May 9, 2018, explaining why UMNO should drop support for Bersatu, he griped that UMNO is blamed for the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in Malaysia as a result of the Sabah state general election when it was solely the fault of Bersatu.
He blamed the National Security Council (NSC) for rejecting the suggestion from the Health Minister, Dr. Adham Baba, who is from UMNO, to implement mandatory quarantine on those returning from Sabah before the state elections.
But the person who shot down Adham’s suggestion, when it was first made publicly on Nomination Day of the Sabah state general election, was none other than the UMNO vice president and senior UMNO Defence Minister, Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who described any report that a mandatory quarantine order to Malaysians travelling back from the state to the peninsula as “fake news” and declared that he would be the one responsible to announce any decisions made on Covid-19 travel restrictions, based on advice from the Health Ministry.
Najib also blamed the Bersatu’s Home Affairs Minister Hamzah Zainuddin for not properly isolating prisoner or observing the standard operating procedures (SOP) which caused the clusters in several detention centres in Kedah, Perak and Penang.
Najib said: “If such mistakes did not occur, there would not be a third wave of Covid-19 in Malaysia. And now, Umno is also being blamed for the third wave.”
Clearly, Najib does not agree with Hamzah that “PN” stands for “Penyelamat Negara” as Hamzah had claimed in Sabah.
UMNO leader, Nazri Abdul Aziz hit the nail on the head when he said that selective court prosecution was among the reasons which led to an enraged UMNO leadership mulling to withdraw support for the PN government.
UMNO President, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, protested too much when he denied that UMNO’s review of support for the PN government was linked to court cases of Najib, Zahid and other UMNO leaders.
What must have been particularly galling was the release of the former Sabah UMNO Chairman and Chief Minister from his 46 counts of corruption charges to mount an conspiracy to dislodge the Warisan Plus Sabah State Government - and which brought in the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in Malaysia – while other UMNO leaders like Najib and Zahid have to go through their trials in court.
Be that as it may, Malaysia has been plunged into unprecedented times.
Parliament is meeting on Nov. 2, and regardless of the outcome of Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah’s attempt to get Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad’s “no confidence” motion voted in Parliament, Nov. 23 will be a day that the Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, cannot avoid – as on that day the government’s 2021 Budget will be voted on in Parliament.
Until then, Malaysians will see various contortions and political acrobatics in Malaysia’s “Game of Thrones”.