By Tay Tian Yan, Sin Chew Daily

Facing the demands from the King and the opposition, PM Muhyiddin says he is prepared to set up a committee on reconvening the parliament, which will make up of representatives from both government and opposition lawmakers.

Some say Muhyiddin is buying time.

Time is not a commodity and I have no idea how to trade it or how to determine its value.

But in English, indeed "buy time" simply means "delay an event temporarily so as to have longer time to improve one's own position."

Such a committee will be unprecedented in the country's history and is poised to steal national limelight.

It's up to you to imagine how rival parties are going to sit down and talk, and whether any positive outcome will ever be produced.

Allow me to stretch my imagination a bit and do a simulation of how such a committee is going to operate.

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental, and the author shall not be held liable for it.

Week 1: To show that he is fair and transparent, the PM sends out invitations to various parties and want them to submit the names of their representatives within one week.

Week 2: The PMO has compiled a list of nominated representatives from various parties, and now submits the list for "Parliament Reconvening Committee" to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to seek His Majesty's consent.

Week 3: Announcement on the establishment of the committee. To ensure the safety of everyone at the height of the pandemic, the members are required to first go through screening tests. Do give them one week please!

Week 4: The committee members finally get to meet for the first time. The PM chairs the meeting, delivers his keynote address, and reminds everyone of their momentous responsibility to the King and all Malaysians. This is followed by a historic family photo session.

Afterwards the members take three whole days to decide on the committee's organizational framework, responsibilities and jurisdictions.

Week 5: Official start of the meeting proceedings with heated debates between government and opposition reps on whether only issues related to the pandemic and economy should be discussed, or everything else, including a no-confidence motion against the sitting government.

To break the impasse, the committee finally agrees to set up a five-man core sub-committee comprising party whips to specifically discuss the issue of reconvening the parliament.

Week 6: After some discussions, the sub-committee has agreed that each side should take a step backward, and the list of motions that can be tabled in the parliament is finalized.

Week 7: The parliament reconvening committee adopts the sub-committee's decision, and discussions of reconvening of parliament now get to continue.

Week 8: The meeting goes on without any decision made…

Week 9: Some committee member proposes a supplementary agenda on the election of a new Dewan Rakyat Speaker when the parliament first reconvenes. Another round of intense debates with half in favor and the other half against. Some members stage a walkout in protest.

Week 10: After much mediation from various parties, the committee members finally agree, albeit with some reluctance, to go back to the conference table. 

Week 11: …

And then people start to forget that such a committee has ever been formed. It's like not many still remember a "special independent emergency committee" that is supposed to advise His Majesty when to end the Emergency. No one knows any such advice has actually been made.

As said, time changes everything, especially in politics.