NOV 20 — Tan Sri Muhyiddin has declared that he has the support of MPs from the two main Borneo coalitions that won the most seats in Sabah and Sarawak.

The Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) share 28 seats between them, while Muhyiddin’s Perikatan Nasional (PN) has 73. That adds up to 101, which is way short of a majority of 112.

The PN’s chairman still needs the support of MPs from Barisan Nasional (BN). But BN as a coalition is conspicuously absent from his announcement that he has enough support to form the government.

Yes, BN as a coalition. No, not individual BN MPs which must number at least 11 for PN to have a simple majority.

While it is true that the Federal Constitution requires the King to exercise the discretion to appoint as prime minister the person who he feels is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the MPs, irrespective of MPs’ party membership or affiliation, it must be remembered that MPs are seated in the Dewan Rakyat either in the government block or opposition block.

Accordingly, BN MPs must be seated in either block. If they are divided between the two blocks, in parliamentary terms, the BN MPs would have crossed the floor.

That, arguably, would have offended the new anti-party hopping law. The BN MPs seated in the wrong block would accordingly lose their seats.

So, while it’s true that the constitutional anti-party hopping provisions do not prevent an entire party from shifting their allegiances, it also means that an entire party must be collective in their allegiance.

Any decision on allegiance must be made as a party. The 30 BN MPs must ponder on this.

Coincidentally, embattled BN chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has said that all BN MPs who have won in the 15th general election (GE15) have also signed a pledged and given him the mandate as party president, to decide on any political collaboration to form the government.

So, despite its trashing at the polls on Saturday, BN is truly in a kingmaker position.

But it has to be collective.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or organisation and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.