Many school children at one time or another has come across or given the task to write an essay on "If I am the Prime Minister of Malaysia" or "Why I want to the Prime Minister of Malaysia". These students, in the most highest level of idealism plus a grade of innocence and naiveness would have written a heavenly lists of things he or she wants to do when the coveted position falls onto their lap.
Well, by now most of us, the former primary students after realising the reality of becoming the prime Minister of Malaysia need more than a dream and writing an essay. We had awaken to the real world and pursued our own career and live an ordinary life.
Maybe not all though. At least now we have at least two possible prime minister-in-waiting who still holds to their childhood essays close to their heart. One is the current deputy prime minster Najib Razak and the other a former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim. Even so, at this stage I think we should not dismiss and set aside some other possible candidates who is also holding on to their primary school essays. These guys includes the Kelantan prince Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and son of the Malay power base in Johore Muhyiddin Yassin.
The current PM had set his retirement to be in June 2010 and anointed Najib as his successor in UMNO and with that the prime ministership. Maybe Abdullah Badawi managed to secure the word from Najib not to challenge him in this December's Umno election by promising him his job in two years time. This sort of arrangement between the two UMno top politicians may work to the dot before this but time had changed.
Tunku Abdul Rahman hand over to Tun Razak was as planned and expected. So is Hussein Onn's to Dr Mahathir. The dramatic announcement by Dr Mahathir to pass the reins to Abdullah Badawi proceeded smoothly more than a year later. There was no real challenge to this hand over processes.
But can we say the same about the proposed hand over of power to Najib from Abdullah?
It will be a different ball game this time. There was no Anwar and Pakatan Rakyat factor breathing over the shoulder of both Abdullah and Najib. There is also Tengku Razaleigh who was narrowly denied the prime ministership more than 20 years ago. The Kelantan prince still harbors the hopes to be PM as the crown in the jewel in his political career. Furthermore, other component parties of Barisan Nasional might have a different view this time around on the PM position.
As for Muhyiddin, as the current longest serving Umno vice president, this will be possibly his last shot to lead the country. Once he miss the boat this time around, he can kiss the prime ministership goodbye. There are many leaders who are younger than him who is waiting to claim the coveted position after Najib(if he ever becomes PM), especially Najib's cousin Hishammudin Hussein who is also from Johore. If Muhyiddin defends his vice presidency, he will be fighting over split support for a Johore candidate if Hishammudin also contest for a vice president seat. Not forgetting other Johore leader like younger Khaled Nordin and old horse Syed Hamid Albar.
It looks like the stake is very high and Muhyiddin may go for broke by contesting for the presidency or deputy presidency in December, if he secures enough nomination. This might not be difficult if he teams up with certain states and work out his dream team.
But then all of these are based on assumptions that the PM will "always" from Umno. Can any other person hold the position? Yes, if an elected MP can secure the majority supports of the members of the Dewan Rakyat. That person can be Anwar, if he first secures his "licence" i.e. to be elected a member of the Dewan Rakyat and then obtained majority support from the MPs. Finally he need to show that he has the confidence of majority of the MPs and seek the King's consent to appoints him the PM. In politics, the tide changes very fast and the opportunity not taken will not be valid in the next tide. And time is not in favour of Anwar. In the meantime, maybe the MPs can give a thought to the possibility of creating history by electing Wan Azizah the first woman prime minister of this country. Politics is an art of the possible. Maybe Wan Azizah did wrote the same essay during her student days?
While the politicians are fighting it out for the pinnacle of power, did anyone up there care to seek and listens to the opinions and feelings of the ordinary folks. Did anyone bother to ask us if we wants Najib, Anwar, Razaleigh, Muhyiddin or even Hishammudin as our prime minister? Are the public's views are not important anymore even though every public policy the PM decides affects all of us. Maybe they are so be busy politiking that they forgotten there are still 26 million of other Malaysians watching and living in this country.
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