MB Mukhriz Mahathir can count on at least 4 votes to support him in a vote of no confidence in the Kedah State Assembly (DUN) against his MB-ship, namely, himself, Aminuddin Omar and two more BN blokes (are they MCA ADUN? wakakaka - personally I doubt that).
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Technically, that is if PAS' 8 ADUN support him, he'll have 4 plus 15 (8 PAS, 4 PKR, 2 DAP, 1 PAN), giving him a clear majority of 19 in the State Assembly (DUN). And indeed PAS has just declared they will support Mukhriz continuing as MB.
But as I mentioned in an earlier post, Capitalizing on a Mahathir's prediction for Kedah?, there is no necessity for the vote of no confidence to be taken in the DUN because the majority ruling party (of 21) only requires only 11 among its own ADUN (admittedly a wafer-thin intra-party majority, but I believe there are 15 UMNO ADUN against Mukhriz continuing as MB) to inform HRH or the Regency Council that the majority of the ruling BN no longer have any confidence in Mukhriz's leadership as state MB and are offering a replacement candidate.
But as I mentioned in an earlier post, Capitalizing on a Mahathir's prediction for Kedah?, there is no necessity for the vote of no confidence to be taken in the DUN because the majority ruling party (of 21) only requires only 11 among its own ADUN (admittedly a wafer-thin intra-party majority, but I believe there are 15 UMNO ADUN against Mukhriz continuing as MB) to inform HRH or the Regency Council that the majority of the ruling BN no longer have any confidence in Mukhriz's leadership as state MB and are offering a replacement candidate.
Wasn't this the case in Selangor regarding PKR's attempt to remove Khalid Ibrahim?
Thus I wonder why some, especially those from Pakatan, are insisting on the vote of confidence being taken in the DUN, instead of allowing the BN to sort it out themselves. Did Pakatan call for a vote of no confidence in the Selangor DUN against former MB Khalid Ibrahim?
No, don't answer me because I know the answer, wakakaka. 'Twas just a rhetorical question to show the double standards that politics (on both sides of the fence) indulge in.
Just saying "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" is not good enough, not WHEN you yourself have done exactly the same thing, to wit, attempting to deal with Khalid Ibrahim in Selangor within Pakatan or rather PKR party process! I was supportive of that intra-party process in Selangor because I thought that was correct.
But now in Kedah, TMI reports: DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said in Penang that a confidence motion should be tabled at the Kedah legislative assembly and that the DAP would decide how to respond later if such a motion was tabled.
Much as I lament saying this of a man I very much admire, Lim GE has shown his double standards because he failed to say the same thing in the Selangor MB case.
In fact Kedah DAP chairperson Tan Kok Yew told TMI: "I think we have to stress here that such is not our stand. We fear that there is a misunderstanding. The whole issue here is not a question of support for Mukhriz, but an internal party issue that is up to Umno to settle internally."
Much as I lament saying this of a man I very much admire, Lim GE has shown his double standards because he failed to say the same thing in the Selangor MB case.
In fact Kedah DAP chairperson Tan Kok Yew told TMI: "I think we have to stress here that such is not our stand. We fear that there is a misunderstanding. The whole issue here is not a question of support for Mukhriz, but an internal party issue that is up to Umno to settle internally."
"We don't even know if this menteri besar issue is created to divert our attention from other issues. If Umno cannot settle it, then the matter should be brought to the state legislative assembly for a motion of no confidence to be table,"
TMI also reported: PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said in a statement today that any decision to remove a chief minister from any state must be based on a justifiable reason.
“In the absence of compelling justifiable reason, our view is to maintain and support the status quo. This is especially pertinent when concerning a member who enjoys the support of the majority”.
“In the absence of compelling justifiable reason, our view is to maintain and support the status quo. This is especially pertinent when concerning a member who enjoys the support of the majority”.
So why was Khalid Ibrahim removed without compelling justifiable reason (at least initially)? Unless of course, giving way to her version of "God's gift to the people" (namely, her hubby, wakakaka) was considered by her as a compelling justifiable reason!
Thus I have to say, sadly, Pakatan is just as bad as BN and PAS for bringing the state of our politics to its present parlous pathetic state.
If the issue is taken to the DUN, of course both Pakatan and PAS will support Mukhriz to defeat the vote of no confidence.
But how will Mukhriz then carry on his duties as MB with his new unknown exco, when around 15 UMNO ADUN out of 19 are against him?
Apart from the 3 UMNO ADUN who back him, and perhaps the two MCA men (wakakaka) who else will fill the exco positions? Will he coopt PAS and Pakatan ADUN to join his exco?
Professor Gurdial Singh Nijat told TMI: "How is he (Mukhriz) going to run the BN government without the support of the assemblymen from his party or coalition?"
"He cannot have opposition members in the executive council because the people voted a BN government in the last election."
In fact, Prof Gurdial stated that the move by the Kedah Regency Council to determine the views of the opposition was unprecedented, meaning the Regency Council's action should NOT have been taken.
This is the problem with monarchy over-participating in secular politics.
The more interesting question is (and what the Opposition, both Pakatan and PAS, wants): Will Mukhriz, after defeating the vote of no confidence proposed by the majority of his own UMNO people, advised the Regency Council to dissolve the DUN and call for fresh elections?
If he doesn't, can he continue to run Kedah by coopting PAS (and to a lesser extent, Pakatan) ADUN into his exco? Will his policies/proposals/budget have an easy passage in the DUN?