‘Under normal conditions, a vote of no confidence means Parliament must be dissolved and, to protect democracy, fresh general elections must be held. Under the current “New Normal” conditions, a vote of no confidence means Parliament must be suspended and, to protect the lives of Malaysians, a state of emergency must be declared.’
THE CORRIDORS OF POWER
Raja Petra Kamarudin
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Anwar Ibrahim both want a vote of no confidence against Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to be passed in Parliament. And the reason is simple.
Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong must (or can) appoint a Prime Minister who in His Majesty’s opinion (or judgement) may (or probably can) get the confidence of the majority of the House (meaning at least 112 Members of Parliament), but the Agong CANNOT remove or sack that Prime Minister.
And why is that? Simple! Because the Agong is a constitutional monarch, not an absolute monarch. If the Agong can or does sack or remove the Prime Minister, then His Majesty is no longer a constitutional monarch but an absolute monarch.
Hence Anwar’s attempt to get Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong to sack Muhyiddin Yassin and appoint him (Anwar) the new Prime Minister or PM9 was a spectacular and epic disaster. Anwar was chased out of the Istana Negara, figure of speech, of course, with his tail between his legs.