By Prof Dr Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi

In this article I wish to say that PN already has the upper ground and that they should not be afraid of holding a full Parliamentary Session on the 18th of May and the full duration of debates in the coming weeks. Having a full Parliamentary Session is the only moral and strategic thing to do for the new political entity.

My first reason is that the PM has been saying we should live the new normal of wearing face masks, social distancing and having virtual meetings and yet the whole cabinet is making a mockery of the noble house by having a one day ceremonial seating so as just to 'cukupkan syarat'. The rakyat cannot accept this situation of cakap tapi tak serupa bikin.

Secondly, the PN government, to me, has performed excellently in dealing with the COVID-19 issue at all fronts. Although, many, who despise this so called 'back door Melayu' government will disagree with me, but I don't think PH could have done any better. The PN government has taken many unpopular decisions like curbing Terawikh Prayers and Friday Prayers. I am most sure that if PH were to do the same, a huge demonstration organized by racist and extremist parties would take place in Masjid Negara and DAP will get the blame. But because PN is an 'all Malay' government, this did not happen. The PN has also been heavily criticized for relaxing the MCO on May 4th by many quarters but I happen to agree that it was a most matured and calculated move to balance safety, economy and mental stress of being cooped up for 45 days. Those who called for more time, to me, have been sleeping during the MCO to the point of them not thinking about how to go about business in the new normal. So, with this massive point in their favor, PN should not be afraid of entering parliament in style.

Thirdly, there is no logical excuse of saying the need to be physically present is necessary for a real parliamentary seating. The MPs who made this excuse was quoting an ancient relic of a culture or law that had never even imagined the advancement of electronic communication. Democratic countries have sat in debates on laws using virtual presence. The rakyat can see the person and hear the MPs via their phones or computer screens. The future is here and now. Those rulings of physical presence are no longer applicable.

Fourthly, even if a physical presence is required, there is a safe way of doing it. How? Well, leave the Parliament Building and find a huge convention hall. Place all 222 seats 2 meters apart with a good audio system and debate all day long. What's the problem? The making of our laws does not require the presence of a building architecturally designed for a Parliamentary debate. When the architect designed the Dewan, he never knew that one day the world was brought to its knees by a virus. It was never in his architectural brief. Friday Prayers can be held without a dedicated building called a mosque. I prayed in gymnasiums, canteens and parking lots when I was traveling on the road in the USA during my student days. If the dialogue between man and his Creator can be in such spaces, the more so a dialogue and debate between mere human beings.

Finally, the most frightening reason of the PN in a Parliamentary Seating is a vote of no confidence against them. I don't understand where this fear is coming from? Are they not a strong coalition? A Malay Nationalistic Group plus a Malay Islamic Extremist group plus another Malay opportunistic group and a group of Malay traitors of the PH? Are there not enough Malays to be a strong Melayu coalition dulu, kini dan selamanya? And furthermore, I heard that the PN government is rewarding all their MPs with lucrative GLC positions regardless of whether they are qualified or not. Of course more than half of the rakyat is angry at this daylight robbery but who cares…the PM and Ministers wield the powers of appointment in a legal construct. Until the rakyat throws out the PN and jettisons the GLCs as part of a political patronage system, the PN has now the upper hand. So…why be afraid of a full Parliamentary session? I also hear that the art of fishing for more immoral MPs from PH to sit in the GLC offices are being strategized by none other than the prime mover of the Sheraton Move. This is certainly his portfolio of expertise and he is really good at self survival regardless of any moral underpinnings. It seems to me I have learnt that to be a true survivable politician in Malaysia, one must sell one's soul to the devil and then offer the devil a GLC position to buy one's soul back.

Thus, with all these strengths and position at the upper hand, the PN government should not shy away from the rakyat having some questions about certain issues. I always thought that in politics one must show that one is in command and is holding all the cards. Even though one's real position is shaky, but politics is perception. Refusing to hold a full Parliamentary Session is an act that many will interpret as pure and immoral cowardice. I thought this Kerajaan Melayu was strong. It has the support of university professors, muftis, saudagar-saudagar and even university students. Some even say it has the support of Allah Himself. Pantang Melayu berundur selangkah. Where is the keris then…I wonder?

(Professor Dr. Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi is Professor at a local university.)