Anxious wait for new PM over, thanks to the King
KUCHING: Public anxiety over who would be the next
Prime Minister is now over with the
Yang Di-Pertuan
Agong instrumental in arriving at a decision to appoint
Datuk Seri Anwar
Ibrahim to lead a unity government after a historic fourday episode of hung parliament.
Sarawak Bank Employees’ Union (SBEU) CEO Andrew Lo, also former Malaysian Trade Unions Congress (MTUC) Sarawak secretary, said workers should feel relieved that they could now move on with normal life.
“Relieved that the agonising jostling is over so that we can get on with moving forward.”
His greatest relief was that extremists and religious bigots will be out of the way now that Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been appointed the next or 10th Malaysian Prime Minister and invited to lead a unity federal government.
“Relieved that extremists don’t get their way, relieved that Anwar gets his chance,” he said of Anwar who had been waiting to be Prime Minister since the late 1990s.
Lo said he expects Anwar to be premier for all Malaysians, including the people of Sabah and Sarawak.
“Expectations are also high that Anwar would make the next government efficient, clean and progressive to move the economy forward,” he said.
“Expectations are that the future is a bit brighter for our children. I hope that traitors and ‘frogs’ (party hoppers) have no place in our country,” added Lo, claiming that for the past several years Malaysians experienced a series of political turmoil and instability as well as economic downturn.
Self-employed Andrew Chioh said he is glad Anwar, the Tambun MP, is finally the premier as the latter is well known globally.
Once it was announced that Anwar is to be the 10th Prime Minister, shares at the KLSE started to move up, though it might be a coincidence, Chioh pointed out.
“I am pleased to have him as Prime Minister, as from the short videos or news shared over the social media it showed that he is a person with calibre, has connection and well known to the global community. My heartiest congratulations to the 10th Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.”
Chioh said public anxiety may be over with the announcement that Anwar is to lead a unity government, courtesy of the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong.
“The general election last Saturday ended in an unprecedented hung parliament with neither of two main opposition parties able to secure enough seats in parliament to form a government.
“I had followed the news and it’s like watching a movie full of anxiety. Watching him in the news was really thrilling. After the stalemate, it was resolved, whereby the longruling bloc led by the United Malays National Organisation (Umno) agreed to support a unity government under the leadership of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
“Such a tie-up was once unthinkable in Malaysian politics, long dominated by rivalry between the two parties.
“Other members from his (Anwar) component party came to Sarawak to discuss with Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government. Plus the Gabungan Rakyat Sarawak (GRS) said they will follow the king’s decision. Subsequently, the other bloc declared they decided to follow the unity government,” Chioh said.
This is the first time in the history of Malaysian politics that this happened, and it was a relief that Anwar was triumphant, Chioh pointed out.
Self-employed Charles Janum said Anwar deserved the premier post, considering the ordeals that Anwar had gone through as a politician.
Suggesting that Anwar has a tough character, Charles said: “He has been through the worst and probably that had given him a change of perspective in life or how to govern a country.”
Pensioner Edward Mansel was very happy to have Anwar as the Malaysian premier.
“He deserves to be our moderate leader and fighter for all Malaysians,” said Edward.
After the 15th parliamentary election concluded on Nov 19, none of the major political blocs could secure 122 seats to form a government with simple majority, resulting in the hung parliament saga.