Najib has demonstrated once again that he is a smooth but ruthless operator. His target of gaining back the two-thirds super-majority in Parliament – needed to amend the Constitution – is getting closer (read here). By suspending the Leader of the Opposition and three other opposition lawmakers for six months, Najib now only needs another five votes to return the Barisan Nasional to its comfortable position of parliamentary dictatorship (Read here).

The Dewan Rakyat approved a motion today suspending Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim for six months over his statement linking the 1Malaysia concept with the One Israel campaign (Read here).

Three other Pakatan MPs – Azmin Ali (PKR-Gombak), R Sivarasa (PKR-Subang) and Karpal Singh (DAP-Batu Gelugor) – were also suspended along with Anwar.

Pakatan Rakyat, in an immediate response, has threatened to take this matter to court:

Pakatan Rakyat (PR) MPs said today they plan court action against the Dewan Rakyat Speaker after Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and three opposition lawmakers were suspended for six months.

Karpal Singh said PR will be seeking a judicial review over what he said was the abuse of power by Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia and the decision to suspend.

“There is no doubt that the Speaker has lost his moral authority to chair the proceedings. In the case of Anwar and myself, the recommendations are that we be suspended for six months. With mine the additional one is I be admonished for the first time. Now we have not been heard. Anwar not given opportunity to be heard, neither was I given opportunity to be heard, neither was Gombak nor Subang,” he said. (Read here)

The key reason Najib needs the two-third super-majority is to pass through the electoral delineation exercise to ensure BN’s victory at the 13th General Election, most likely to be called by mid 2011 (Read here). BN, historically, has achieved its two-third super-majority by manipulating the democratic institutions and processes (Read here and here).