KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: A ruling coalition party’s planned no-confidence vote against Malaysia’s prime minister is unlikely to succeed, but the rebellion has strengthened the opposition’s campaign to topple the government, politicians and analysts said Thursday.
The Sabah Progressive Party, a member of the 14-party ruling National Front coalition, announced Wednesday that its two legislators in Parliament would seek a no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on Monday.
The chances of the motion succeeding “are slim,” said prominent political commentator A. Kadir Jasin.
The numbers are on Abdullah’s side. Even without the two Sabah state legislators’ support, the Front has 138 votes in the 222-member house and can defeat the motion easily.
“However, the proposal for a no-confidence vote itself is sufficient to weaken the prime minister’s position,” Kadir said. Even without a vote, the motion “will provide ideas to others who are dissatisfied with Abdullah to topple him.”
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