No end to Malaysian political Wayang Kulit

I remember being curious and sometimes thrilled by the stories told via shadows on a white cotton cloth using puppets in open fields when I was young.

The exploits of kings and heroes, of queens and princesses, and of demons and animals interwoven into palace intrigues, engrossing plots and sentimental situations, were told to the accompaniment of music by the dalang or puppet master.

Most of the stories of the Wayang Kulit, or shadow play, were taken from the Hindu epics the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, but occasionally the dalang would experiment with different tales.

In Malaysia, public performances of the once popular Wayang Kulit, the oldest theatre form in Southeast Asia, can only be seen today at select shows for tourists, largely because of the rise of conservative Islam.

However, the intrigues, twists and turns, and larger than life characters still live on in the Wayang Kulit-like performances of politicians.

In fact, since the 9 May 2018 general election, politicians have been amply demonstrating their repertoire of moves as they either desperately seek to grab power or desperately try to stay in power. The latest rendition of the shadow play has been dubbed the “Dubai Move”.

What is the "Dubai Move"?

The “Dubai Move” refers to a supposed meeting between several opposition leaders and influential people from Malaysia in the United Arab Emirates last month. Apparently, it was to hatch yet another plot to unseat Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s one-year-old government.

Although there were rumours earlier about moves to replace the government, the adrenaline rush was ignited by Ismail Yusop, the deputy director-general of the government’s Community Communications Department, better known as J-Kom.

Local media reported him as saying on 30 December that several leaders of the opposition Perikatan Nasional coalition and influential individuals had met in Dubai to plot the overthrow of Anwar’s government.

His story had all the ingredients of a Wayang Kulit show: mystery, motivation, plot, shadowy dealings and influential personalities such as an unnamed former prime minister and an unnamed ex-finance minister.

Ismail’s claim resulted in a flurry of denials by Dr Mahathir and several opposition leaders. One leader accused J-Kom of conducting psychological warfare while another said it was to divert people’s attention from the government’s failure to handle various problems.

As expected, the “revelation” caused social media to explode. Netizens, already fed on huge doses of political intrigue since 2018, embraced the latest plot allegations, latching on to the catchphrase “Dubai Move” as ducks take to water.

Some questioned its veracity, some were convinced it was true while some others speculated on the identities of the dalang behind the “Dubai Move”. Many more berated politicians for continuing to play politics when the nation was struggling with cost-of-living and other problems.

The reaction comes as no surprise because many remember PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang saying, last March, that his Islamist party and the opposition had every right to formulate plans to topple the current government.

In addition, the infamous “Sheraton Move” which resulted in the Pakatan Harapan coalition government led by Dr Mahathir Mohamad being toppled in 2020 remains fresh in Malaysian minds.

The conspiracy, said to have been discussed at the Sheraton Hotel in Petaling Jaya, not only triggered a change in government at federal level but also, subsequently, at state level, with the administrations of Melaka, Perak, Johor and Kedah changing hands. Sabah too saw a change in leadership due to a separate power play.

But wait! Even before the excitement over the “Dubai Move” could die down, a statement claiming that 118 opposition MPs would meet the King to submit sworn statements of support for the opposition went viral. Opposition leader and Perikatan Nasional secretary-general Hamzah Zainudin quickly dismissed it as fake.

However, a day later, on 7 January, Kedah Menteri Besar (chief minister) Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor of PAS said Perikatan Nasional had obtained enough statutory declarations to form a new government. He did not furnish details.

The conflicting statements only add to suspicion that something is brewing.

Before the “Dubai Move”, there was the “London Move” of January 2023 where it was alleged that some UMNO leaders had met in London to plot the removal of party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as a first step towards withdrawing support from Anwar’s government.

But claims of MPs supporting this or that coalition are not a new phenomenon. In 2020, for instance, then opposition leader Anwar claimed he had ”the numbers” to show that Muhyiddin had lost the majority in Parliament, but nothing came of this. In 2008, too, he had made a similar claim against then prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Since 2018, Malaysia has had four different governments due to politicians shifting allegiances at their whims and fancies. In five short years, Malaysians and the world have had to deal with four different prime ministers. That’s one too many.

No end in sight to the shadow play

Everyone had hoped that the November 2022 general election would ring in a strong government and ensure political stability, but it was not to be. The polls resulted in a hung Parliament. After five days of intense deadlock, Anwar cobbled together enough parties to form a government and become the 10th prime minister of Malaysia on 24 November 2022.

Although two-thirds of the 222 MPs support him, there has been no lack of talk about moves to topple the government since then.

Tellingly, PAS’s Hadi was reported as saying on 5 January that, in a democratic system, change could happen through the ballot box, or if elected representatives held a vote of no confidence, or if there were enough statutory declarations proving that the prime minister lacked support.

He is right, of course; the opposition has every right to want to become the government.

Interestingly, the anti-party hopping law passed by Parliament in 2022 does not seem to have stopped the movement of parliamentarians, as shown by the fact that five MPs from Bersatu, a Perikatan Nasional coalition partner, declared their support for Anwar without jumping party – which would have triggered by-elections - late last year.

One of the five, Bukit Gantang MP Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Fasal, said on 6 January that another seven or eight more would soon declare support for Anwar.

So, it appears that this Wayang Kulit may continue for a while.

The original Wayang Kulit that I saw, apart from entertaining the audience, also served to teach values and impart messages about life. And although the Malaysian political shadow play does not exactly impart good values, it still has lessons.

Unfortunately, most politicians appear uninterested, and voters - wary, weary and discombobulated - can only watch, and post comments on social media, as the shadow play continues to weave its spell.

A.Kathirasen is a veteran Malaysian journalist/editor who has been writing columns, with breaks, in newspapers and online since 1981. All views expressed are the writer's own.

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