I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again.

Footballers play football, politicians play politics. But a few days ago, newly appointed deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob called on politicians to “stop playing politics”.

So, what should politicians play? Football?

But seriously, I agree with the DPM that all parties, especially politicians, stop playing politics and instead focus on helping the rakyat who have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

How true! Yet, Ismail’s appointment as deputy prime minister itself is linked to politics! Ismail himself is central to the politicking, apart form his boss.

Don’t take my word for it. Look at comments and analyses by political observers, commentators and analysts and even the pro- or government-friendly ones. They all say the appointment has a lot to do with politics.

Incidentally, when prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin kept the DPM post vacant when naming his cabinet last year, it was to keep all parties in his Perikatan Nasional pact happy so that not one particular party can claim prominence over the other by having their leader picked as deputy to the prime minister.

That’s playing politics. Accommodating politics so to speak.

Now 16 months later, Muhyiddin has decided to fill that vacancy.

The promotion for Umno man Ismail and another Umno man Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein (promoted from minister to senior minister), as we know, came amid renewed talks of Umno wanting to pull out of Perikatan Nasional.

In fact, the promotion appointments were announced only hours before Umno supreme council was to meet to discuss the pull the plug plan.

Never mind the meeting would later decide Umno calling for Muhyiddin’s resignation but somehow continue to support the government he is leading.

Well, sort of, despite all the rhetoric that came with that decision.

I’ll skip the details and go straight to comments made by observers with regards to the promotion of the two Umno men, in particular Ismail’s.

The timing of the announcement, they said then, was “telling”, hours before Umno was to make a very important decision.

Many then had labeled Muhyiddin’s move as a “masterstroke.”

The prime minister, they said, had “checkmated” Umno, making it hard for them to take a strong stand against the government as “one of them is now deputy prime minister”.

Some said Muhyiddin had clearly split further an already split Umno. Camps in Umno, i.e. anti-Bersatu and pro-Bersatu groups, are there for all to see.

Pasir Salak MP Datuk Seri Tajuddin Rahman, who used to be pro-Zahid and anti-Bersatu, of late began singing a different tune, leaning more towards Muhyiddin.

And as I write this, Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has removed him as party elections director.

Ismail’s appointment has only made the pro-Bersatu faction in Umno feel boosted and encouraged in going up against Zahid.

I don’t know how much the promotion exercise played a part in the Umno supreme council meeting that July 7 night. Still there are folks who see the Umno decision of “only” pulling out support of Muhyiddin as a “watered down” decision, and in particular in allowing its MPs to vote freely in Parliament when it resumes. This is assuming there is a motion for a vote of no confidence against the PM in the August House.

However, party secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan, who revealed the “freedom” for Umno MPs, did not specify what the motion in Parliament would be that requires voting.

But naturally, Ahmad Maslan’s remarks came with a caveat – that for Umno MPS, voting must be in accordance to party’s “guidance”.

Given the “clear” stance of some Umno MPS (especially those who are ministers and deputy ministers in Muhyiddin’s administration) with regards to remaining in Perikatan Nasional, one can somehow “see” which way they would vote, regardless the Ahmad Maslan caveat.

All that came about with Muhyiddin’s so-called “masterstroke”. Now, that is playing politics by the government!

However, there are observers who say Muhyiddin’s “masterstroke” could backfire.

With Ismail’s appointment (as well as Hishammuddin’s), the observers believe Umno is set to take control of the government as the party is tightening its grip.

Ismail, they say, is at the right place should Muhyiddin bow down to Umno’s pressure and quit.

Ismail will take over as PM and Umno would be in control. That, some observers say, has always been Umno’s plan all along.

True or not I can’t tell for sure. But for sure it’s political play by Umno.

But bear in mind when Tun Mahathir Mohamad quit as PM last year, his Pakatan Harapan government collapsed. Using the same “premise”, should Muhyiddin relinquish the prime minister’s post, would it mean the collapse of Perikatan Nasional government as well?

As it is, Muhyiddin is not showing signs he is about to quit. So, where does that put Umno’s plans?

Whatever it is, wouldn’t you agree this is all politics at play?

On July 8, i.e. a day after Ismail’s promotion and the Umno supreme council meeting, Mahathir announced that his party Pejuang has been officially registered after receiving approval from the Registrar of Societies.

Mahathir thanked the government for approving his party’s application and formally registering it.

The question asked instantly: why? Rather why now? After all, the government had appeared reluctant in wanting Pejuang registered.

Put aside the court decision compelling the home minister to make a decision concerning Pejuang (then) pending application within 14 days (as from 25 June 2021), need we be reminded the home minister is Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin who is also one of the top guns in Muhyiddin’s Bersatu party?  

Political analyst Dr Oh Ei Sun sees it this way: The court decision apart, Bersatu and especially the government cannot afford the havoc which Mahathir will make should his party’s application to be registered is rejected.

In a way, according to Oh, it is a smart move to allow Pejuang to be officially registered, as an angry Mahathir is something the government can do without.

Also, Mahathir says Oh can decide to join or cooperate with other opposition parties. That’s the last thing the government needs when it is facing problems with Umno and a range of other problems.

“You don’t want the opposition to strengthen. Now that Mahathir has got his own political kingdom, the opposition continues to be fragmented,”says Oh.

According to him. although Mahathir still commands a sizable support of the Malays, it is nothing compared to the 2018 days, and now that “he has his own small kingdom, Pejuang will be up and out there with Muda and Warisan as minor parties, unless Dr Mahathir is willing to ally his party with the existing bigger parties like PKR and Umno. But in the short term, I don’t see that coming, as Dr Mahathir does not want (Datuk Seri) Anwar Ibrahim becoming prime minister and he has problems with the current Umno leadership.”

Still, “in the long run you’ll never know,” says Oh.

Yes, long run, only time will tell, but at the moment there is talk of Mahathir working with Muhyiddin-led Perikatan Nasional. Fueling the rumor further is the finance minister wanting to meet Mahathir to discuss the former PM playing a big role in the National Recovery Plan Committee.

Mahathir has not decided on whether he will play that role but has rubbished speculation Pejuang will cooperate with Bersatu or the government.

Incidentally, Muda and Warisan have also denied any cooperation with Perikatan Nasional.

Political mess is aplenty, many arising from moves initiated by the government.

That is political play, something the DPM is well aware of, despite him calling politicians to stop playing politics.

(Mohsin Abdullah is a veteran journalist and now a freelancer who writes about this, that and everything else.)