‘Tempting offer but promised reforms a power gambit’

PETALING JAYA: DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said that as tempting as the offers for institutional and constitutional reforms may be, they will not be taking it as they do not want to give their support to maintain Muhyiddin as Prime Minister.

DAP stated that it was rejecting all the offers, as the party will not support Muhyiddin to continue helming the country.

This was despite sources stating that ministers had met DAP leaders who had asked for the reforms.

In a statement, Lim said the party will maintain its support for Pakatan Harapan’s choice of prime minister candidate, PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Lim also pointed out that the timing of the offers of “long-sought reforms” by Muhyiddin in exchange for support for him to stay on as prime minister has raised questions on his sincerity.

Lim further defended DAP leaders who had initially asked the Opposition parties to seriously consider the offers after Muhyiddin’s announcement yesterday. The reforms included limiting the PM’S term, more representation of the Opposition in decision-making in parliamentary select committees and introducing an anti-hopping law for politicians.

DAP MPS Tony Pua and Ong Kian Ming had stated immediately after the PM’S announcement of the offers, that parties should look at the reforms before rejecting them as they could change the future of politics in the country.

“For those initially attracted by the promised reforms, they cannot be faulted for relying on the common refrain of ‘the end justifies the means’, regardless of who initiates them. They are not wrong in their idealistic pursuit of institutional reforms,” said Lim.

“However, we are dealing with a prime minister who has a history of doing the opposite where ‘the end justifies the means’, in this case to remain as prime minister at all cost.

“Institutional reform is not political expediency,” Lim added.

“Based on the Prime Minister’s record of political treachery and the composition of his conservative Cabinet that is consistently opposed to reforms of any kind, there is genuine scepticism on whether he will deliver his promised reforms when it is clearly a gambit for power or stratagem for survival.

“Even though many expect Muhyiddin has no choice but to resign, giving rise to a possibility that Parliament will be dissolved, DAP opposes a general election due to the record number of Covid-19 infections and a death toll swiftly approaching 12,000.

“DAP reiterates our commitment towards saving lives and livelihood by focusing on battling the Covid-19 pandemic, the need for a smooth and swift National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) to achieve herd immunity by inoculation, and direct financial aid to pull the economy out of the recession,” said Lim.

The Pakatan Harapan Presidential Council had issued a statement asking for full support for Anwar to be the next PM.