This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on March 4, 2020 - March 10, 2020

KUALA LUMPUR: Former chief justice Tun Abdul Hamid Mohamad has called on newly appointed Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to not compromise on corruption and power abuse in forming the government.

He urged Muhyiddin to tread carefully when naming his cabinet members as the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government is fragile, and it is unclear whether he could still command a majority support if there is a no-confidence motion when Parliament reconvenes.

In a post on his blog tunabdulhamid.me entitled “Even if you last a day, do the right thing”, Abdul Hamid highlighted the issue of whether Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is on trial for corruption, should be given a position in the new cabinet.

“If he (Ahmad Zahid) is given a ministerial position, let alone the deputy prime minister post, I have to say, Tan Sri Muhyiddin will lose the vote of no confidence and the PN government will fall. Not only that, the people who support the PN government, including me, will withdraw their support and remain neutral,” he said.

Abdul Hamid said PN should not appoint any members of parliament who are facing corruption charges in court to hold any positions in the cabinet.

He added that Muhyiddin and component party leaders should stand their ground on this matter, noting that it is better to fall when doing something right rather than doing something wrong.

Ahmad Zahid is facing 47 charges comprising 12 for criminal breach of trust, eight for corruption and 27 for money laundering involving millions of ringgit belonging to Yayasan Akalbudi.

Abdul Hamid was the chief justice of Malaysia for about a year from Nov 2, 2007 to Oct 18, 2008.

In Kuching, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) chairman and Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said the question of whether the coalition would be part of the federal cabinet is secondary compared to the interests of the country.

Abang Johari said he would need some time to decide on the matter, Bernama reported.

“Let me see it first ... assuming there is an invitation (for GPS members to be part of the cabinet) but that is secondary. The country must come first,” he told reporters.

He was asked whether he had decided on the coalition joining the federal cabinet after GPS chief whip Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said on Monday the coalition’s leadership had given full mandate to Abang Johari to decide.

Talk of the possible inclusion of the GPS representatives in the new cabinet line-up arose after the Sarawak-based coalition threw its support behind Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as the eighth prime minister following more than a week of political tumult involving the federal government.