KUALA LUMPUR: DAP elder statesman Lim Kit Siang wonders why newly-minted Director of Strategic Communications, Abdul Rahman Dahlan, was out of the blue breathing panic and fear. “Is he afraid that the Najib government where he had swiftly ascended in power and influence may suddenly collapse like a house of cards?”
He was commenting on Abdul Rahman Dahlan, also Housing and Local Government Minister, virtually declaring on Tuesday that Sabah and Sarawak, as the backbone of Barisan Nasional (BN), must first be consulted before the Prime Minister can be changed.
“If someone had suggested this before Muhyiddin Yassin was sacked as Deputy Prime Minister and replaced by Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Rahman Dahlan would have been the first to object.”
Lim, who is also DAP Parliamentary Leader and Gelang Patah MP, feels that Rahman Dahlan suddenly raising the Sabah Sarawak factor in choosing the Prime Minister may have something to do with former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad pointing out that Muhyiddin Yassin, as Deputy Umno President, would take over as Acting Umno President and Prime Minister, should Najib step down.
“Mahathir rightly pointed out on Monday that Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was not necessarily the successor to be Prime Minister if, for some reason, Najib does not complete his term as Prime Minister.”
The DAP veteran would not be surprised that in the wake of Mahathir’s statement on the premiership, the Najib 1MDB “war cabinet” may set in motion a new train of party and political manoeuvres including attempts to expel Muhyiddin from Umno.
Lim agrees with Mahathir that “until the Umno/Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition government was removed from office, if there is a vacancy for the premier’s post, it is for Umno to decide and that Muhyiddin would enjoy preference and priority as the elected Deputy President.”
Lim, revisiting Rahman Dahlan’s “Sabah Sarawak must be consulted” theory, concedes that there’s nothing wrong with it. However, Lim added that Rahman Dahlan must explain why he never mentioned this theory before Muhyiddin was sacked from the Cabinet and Zahid appointed the Deputy Prime Minister. “Muhyiddin was next in line to Najib.”