It has been said that a week is a long time in politics, but Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yasssin has found that two weeks is a longer time in politics.

Muhyiddin is now a weaker Prime Minister at the end of the 2020 Sabah state general election than at the beginning two weeks ago.

Muhyiddin asked the people of Sabah to make the Sabah state election a turning point towards a better future for Sabah.

He did not realize how prophetic he had been, for the Sabah state general election would definitely be a turning point for him as Prime Minister.

This was why in his latest visit to Sabah, covering constituencies contested by DAP candidates in Luyang and Likas in Kota Kinabalu last night, Muhyiddin was reduced to clarifying whether he was still Prime Minister.

He said:”Some of you may want to ask if I am still standing here as a prime minister.”

He assured his audience he was still the Prime Minister despite Anwar Ibrahim’s noon media conference that he had the numbers to replace Muhyiddin as Prime Minister.

Suddenly, Malaysia has two Prime Ministers at one and the same time – Prime Minister in office, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Prime Minister in-waiting, Datuk Sri Anwar Ibrahim.

The people of Sabah will go to the polls in 36 hours time.

Muhyiddin owes the people answer to two questions.

Firstly, why he did not come to Keningau on Malaysia Day on September 16 as billboards had been erected declaring that he would be attending the Malaysia Day commemorative event at Batu Sumpah, Keningau as guest speaker on “Demi Mempertahankan Hak Kita”.

Secondly, whether the Cabinet at its meeting yesterday decided that one of the agendas of the Special Committee on MA63 which he announced this week would be the Keningau Batu Sumpah and the three commitments of “Ugama Bebas Dalam Sabah”, “Tanah Tanah dalam Sabah di kuasai oleh Kerajaan Sabah” and “Adat Istiadat anak rayat Sabah dihormatkan dan dipelihara oleh Kerajaan”.

If Muhyiddin is not prepared to answer these two questions for the people of Sabah before Polling Day on September 26, where is the sincerity in his slogans and photographs plastered all over Sabah in the state elections that he would look after Sabah’s best interests?

Muhyiddin himself does not know how long he would continue as Prime Minister, even as backdoor Prime Minister.

Political calculations are changing every minute, as what is relevant and supportable on one day may not be so relevant and supportable on another day.

For instance, PAS support for UMNO’s plan for snap general election may not as strong today when PAS realises that it could play the “kingmaker” role by supporting Bersatu in Perikatan Nasional.

Notice has gone out for the 27-day budget meeting of Parliament from Nov. 2 to Decembr 15, 2020.

Will this parliamentary meeting be held or will Parliament be dissolved before or after the budget meeting?

This is a question which will be decided after Saturday, pending the outcome of the Sabah state general election on September 26.

LIM KIT SIANG

MP for Iskandar Puteri