By Dr. Mahathir Mohd Rais
Nearly two years into the administration of the unity government, a sarcastic revelation by Shamsul Iskandar, prime minister’s political secretary in a recent podcast has raised serious questions about the foundation of the Madani government.
In the pro-government podcast, Shamsul suggested that crucial decisions on election night may have been influenced by backroom deals rather than purely democratic principles.
According to Shamsul, something unusual happened when the vote count in Bagan Datuk, UMNO president Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi’s stronghold, was delayed until late at night.
He said he received a call at 2:30 a.m. from PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, advising him not to contest the close result in which he lost by only 348 votes.
Although there were around 800 spoiled votes, which would typically allow for a recount, Shamsul was reportedly instructed to concede in order to facilitate government formation.
Anwar Ibrahim allegedly said, “Sam, we need to form a government. Zahid has signed a letter of support,” indicating that conceding the seat in Bagan Datuk was part of a strategy to secure BN’s support.
With Zahid Hamidi’s narrow win, BN gained 30 seats, giving PH-BN a simple majority to form the unity government.
Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, appointed Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as Prime Minister after Zahid Hamidi brought BN’s 30 seats to support PH along with GPS and several other parties.
This revelation raises an important question: how could such a decision be seen as being in the country’s best interest when it appears to be a hidden political strategy?
If Shamsul’s statement is true, it may suggest that what appeared to be a legitimate decision involved political manipulation behind the scenes.
This casts doubt on the role of the Constitutional Monarchy as a neutral institution, especially if His Majesty was not given the full picture of this political strategy. Yes.
If true, this is more than just a political issue; it could become a crisis of trust that threatens the public’s confidence in the democratic system and the role of the Constitutional Monarchy.
Any form of manipulation involving the monarchy for political gain can damage public trust and undermine the neutrality and stabilizing role of this institution.
The implications are even broader if this unity government was built on secret deals that don’t fully reflect the people’s will.
If government formation can be achieved through hidden agreements, it could signal a shift from genuine democracy to a system where power is obtained through strategic alliances rather than the people’s mandate.
Such a scenario risks eroding public trust in the electoral process and the legitimacy of the government itself.
The rakyat deserve a government that reflects transparency, accountability, and respect for democratic principles.
Shamsul’s revelation prompts a key question: is the Madani Government simply a consolidation of power at the expense of democratic integrity?
About the author: Dr. Mahathir Mohd Rais, Bersatu Federal Territories State Secretary. This is an opinion column. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of this publication.
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