'FATAMORGANA' OR MERE ILLUSION? - BUT ANWAR'S OWN J-KOM HAS CONFIRMED 'DUBAI MOVE' RUMOUR - OR DID AHMAD MASLAN INADVERTENTLY LET SLIP RM100 MIL PRICE TAG PER DEFECTION?

Written by Stan Lee, Politics Now!

KUALA LUMPUR (Politics Now!) - A senior Umno leader - Ahmad Maslan of the fried rice fame, no less - has called the 'Dubai Move' to oust Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim a 'fatamorgana' - the Malay term for the imaginary or a mere illusion. 

Yet, the rumor which has spread like wildfire has been confirmed by Anwar's own propaganda unit - the J-Kom which was recently hit by a same-sex scandal involving its chief and a staff. 

Talk that two powerful 'Tuns' - former finance minister Daim Zainuddin and Mahathir Mohamad - had given their 'blessings' to the Dubai Move is also another key factor catching the imagination of the public.

Meanwhile, who is telling the truth and who is telling lies?

Can Ahmad, an ostensibly staunch supporter of Anwar's unity government, be so out of the loop? Or is he just saying things he doesn't know anything about? Maybe, he is even saying things in a roundabout way? 

On goes the speculation about Ahmad's fancy 'fatamorgana' vocabulary and RM100 million 'price tag' he mentioned in passing as he tried to douse what is no longer a rumor, thanks to J-Kom.

"The Dubai move? This is just a fantasy. For 30 MPs (Members of Parliament) of Umno and BN, we have already signed (an agreement) to pay RM100 million per person if we want to jump (party)," Ahmad Maslan wrote on the X platform.

So if all 30 Umno MPs were to abandon Anwar's unity government - which is fast plunging in popularity - whoever wants to 'buy' them en-bloc would technically have to cough up RM3 billion - which in the scheme of things is a paltry sum to control a country as rich in resources as Malaysia, with an administrative web so malleable, porous and imaginative it can accommodate with ease all forms of corruption.

"Put it this way - who can ever tell what's inside Ahmad Maslan's brain. It can be anything or nothing," a political analyst told Politics Now!

"Without taking sides, what's distressing for Anwar and Harapan is how this Dubai Move is exciting the public especially the Malays. This is an indication that Malays have no problems with his removal and replacement by a regime led by Umno, Pas, Bersatu and GPS. As for the non-Malays, Anwar and his arrogant Little Napoleons have stepped on their toes, so they won't bother much. They are so used to being without as it is and they are intuitive enough to realize this is not something that they as minorities can stop. Malaysia and Malays have to go through tumble after tumble until hopefully one day, a real leader who is strong enough emerges to really change the country. For now, team Anwar is just another group of snake-oil salesmen and women."

J-KOM - FROM SAME-SEX SCANDAL TO DUBAI MOVE

Deputy Works Minister Ahmad Maslan and his fried rice dishes

A day ago, J-Kom (the Malay acronymn for the Community Communications Department) deputy director Ismail Yusop claimed that vacationing leaders from PN, the main opposition bloc that comprises key parties Pas and Bersatu, and un-named government officials had met at the UAE's capital city - hence the complot was named the Dubai Move.

Ismail also claimed that the meeting discussed and assigned specific tasks to 'agents' responsible for identifying which members of parliament (MPs) might want to switch support to the opposition through inducements, solely to establish a 'tebuk atap' or backdoor government. 

"It has become public knowledge in the past day or two about the Dubai holiday by PN leaders. Followed by the presence of several other leaders associated with groups dissatisfied with the leadership style of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and the Madani government," said Ismail was reported as telling Malay daily Berita Harian.

“It is rumoured that the 'Dubai Move' was formulated with assignments given to a person in charge tasked to meet, negotiate and make offers to those identified as potential supporters who may switch to the opposition.

“It is said that there are spokespersons with access to the leadership on the opposition side, who are roaming throughout the country, including in Sabah and Sarawak, trying to convince that the Madani government will topple in early 2024, with a date and deadline given."

Other influential political figures involved included veterans with the title ‘Tun’, a former prime minister and a former finance minister, Ismail alleged. They were using local and foreign sources to overthrow the Anwar administration, he added.

Bersatu and Pas leaders have rubbished Ismail's claims.

“This unbecoming rant from J-Kom is ill-informed, ignorant and intended to paint a distasteful picture of the opposition to the public at large,” said Bersatu legal and constitution bureau deputy chief Sasha Lyna Abdul Latif.

Pas deputy president Tuan Ibrahim slammed Ismail for "trying to deceive the people" - labeling it as a strategy to draw the people's attention away from current issues, which he added include “the J-Kom issue, local elections, or statements from DAP leaders causing public concern.”

ULTIMATE BUYER & THE REAL 'FATAMORGANA'

Anwar (left) and ex-mentors Mahathir (center) and Daim (right)

Meanwhile, the last word from Umno's Ahmad Maslan, who is also the deputy Works minister, is that Umno-BN MPs simply do not have the RM100 million needed to switch parties. 

"Which MP has that amount of money? Even if 30 of us defected, the government is still intact with 122 (MPs) in support," he gushed.

But again, Ahmad Maslan is wrong - as well as being facetious, said pundits.

"Who knows how much money Umno and BN MPs really have? For sure, the public perception is that quite a few Umno MPs easily have more than RM100 million," a veteran political watcher told Politics Now!

"And whoever is the ultimate buyer doesn't really need to pay cash or even use his own money. If the move succeeds, Malaysians can expect that they will be the ones who end up footing the bill, either via projects or what-not that will be granted to these runaway MPs. It's the same old story, same old modus operandi used by past regimes. Even Anwar was accused of it when the 5 Bersatu MPs recently declared support for him."

"Also if all 30 Umno-BN MPs dump Anwar, chances are GPS will also exit. They have done as the King asked them to, so they can now say they gave Anwar a chance but he can't do the job. So many examples they can give, for example the ringgit's plunge. So Anwar's majority is the real 'fatamorgana' not the Dubai Move or whatever new plot that comes along because those moves are for real. There's constant plotting to oust him because he's not popular. It's only what chances of success."

Written by Stan Lee, Politics Now!

Politics Now!