THE government has agreed to establish a dedicated committee to discuss proposals related to the allocation of funds to opposition Members of Parliament (MPs), according to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.
Fadillah, who also chairs the Government Consultative Council Committee, said today, creation of this committee was essential to explore proposals from the opposition in a manner that fosters consensus and a more inclusive approach.
Speaking to reporters after leading the Special Committee Meeting on Addressing the Deterioration of River Water Quality (JKKAS) in 2025, Fadillah explained that the committee's role would be to ensure a thorough examination of any proposed solutions to the issue.
"So far, only Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman has come forward to meet me regarding this issue," Fadillah revealed.
"In this government, we need consensus, and it’s important to achieve that before moving forward. However, there is no need to bring this matter to the media. We will have discussions with anyone who wants to talk about it."
Fadillah clarified that while Syed Saddiq had presented various proposals, the focus would remain on the broader opposition stance rather than individual views.
"Syed Saddiq may want to represent the opposition, but he is only representing himself. The opposition already has an opposition leader, Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, so we need to consider the broader context," he added.
The deputy prime minister noted that despite multiple discussions between himself and Syed Saddiq—at the advice of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim—no significant progress had been made thus far.
"In terms of allocations, the opposition initially said they didn’t want to negotiate or agree to everything," Fadillah said.
"That is why I said there has been no negotiation. As for Syed Saddiq, I have accepted his suggestions, but others have not presented any. What else can we do?" he asked.
Fadillah’s remarks come after Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim reiterated that there was no condition requiring opposition MPs to support the government in exchange for receiving allocations.
This follows the earlier rejection by Perikatan Nasional (PN) of a government-proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding allocations for PN MPs.
This ongoing discourse over the allocation process highlights the challenges faced in building a working relationship between the government and opposition, especially in navigating proposals and concerns related to parliamentary funding. – February 26, 2025
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