Politicians who think politics will ever be calm and stable are dreaming! So, when they make statements claiming that they and their parties represent political stability, is it true or just another effort to justify unconstitutional conduct?

Recently, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakub, said in response to Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin and PAS president Hadi Awang’s statement that their parties’ support for the federal government was “conditional”, that political stability was important for the country as without it there might be another political turmoil that might affect the economy.

Strange for him to say that when it is obvious that the political climate since he took over the role of premiership has been unstable from Day 1 because Sabri’s party, Umno, has held the threat of pulling out of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government he leads, over his head. Now, Bersatu and PAS are doing the same.

When Umno couldn’t get what it wanted from the federal government, it turned its focus on the states. In Malacca, instead of facing a no-confidence vote in the state assembly, Umno played politics and dissolved the state assembly with the Yang Di-Pertua’s blessing. In Johor, despite a one-seat majority, it dissolved the state assembly and as in Malacca paved the way for state elections.

Is this not political instability? Umno has expressly stated it wants to wipe out Bersih and be the majority government in Johor as in Malacca and now there will be state elections in Johor. If Umno wins in Johor, it is likely that general elections will follow. All this isn’t political instability?

We have been drifting along in political instability since Muhyiddin got himself sworn in as the prime minister but he can’t see it. He thought he had the support of the majority until the Malacca state elections last year when Bersatu won only two seats despite contesting all the seats.

Like Muhyiddin, Bersatu information chief Wan Saiful Wan Jan also claimed that the party’s alliance with PAS had strengthened political stability in the country. It amazes me that the former CEO of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs, can not see the political instability that followed since his party president took over as prime minister!

Either these politicians — Umno, Bersatu and PAS — can not recognize what is and has been unfolding before their very eyes as a result of their actions or they are in self-denial; they prefer not to face the reality before them because then they have to admit they are responsible for the current state of political instability.

Bersatu shouts “political stability” to remain in power but claims its purpose is to ensure the welfare of the people — like previous governments didn’t take care of their political base, the Malay majority.

Umno shouts “political stability” in order to rule by itself so that it can do what it likes like it did when it led six decades of the BN government.

These parties promise political stability but the truth is that they will be unable to deliver it because of the intense in-fighting taking place among Malay-majority parties. As long as their position in government is threatened they will do everything by any means — even if it means compromising the constitution — to get what they want. That is the source of the current political instability and all the parties in the current government are guilty of it.

Politics is characteristically always fluid and sometimes volatile. What controls it from exploding and destroying all the good hitherto achieved is having a good grasp of the constitution and complying with constitutional requirements as written and intended in the constitution.

If all these Malay and Muslim-majority politicians practised politics according to the constitution, we would not be drifting in political instability.

In the last two years, they have proven with three changes of prime ministers that they can not deliver political stability. They should stop deluding themselves and others. The only way to bring political stability back is to vote them out and vote in those who understand the constitution and will stick by it.