KUALA LUMPUR – The reason Pakatan Harapan inked the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob is because the opposition is not required to back him in the confidence vote if it is tabled, said opposition chief Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (Port Dickson-PH).
This is the contention point that led PH to snub the deal with former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, he told the Dewan Rakyat.
“The form of the confidence and supply agreement (CSA) proposed by Muhyiddin demanded that we support and legitimise his government,” he said in Parliament today when debating the royal address.
“In the understanding (with Ismail Sabri), we stressed on our role as the opposition to reject (the government) if no negotiations are done with us. I told Muhyiddin myself previously that he did not negotiate with PH formally.”
Additionally, Anwar said PH’s decision to turn down Muhyiddin’s offer of cooperation was because it was made when his position as prime minister has been compromised following his loss of majority support.
“But what was done by Ismail Sabri is different. Immediately after obtaining the majority, about two or three days later, he called us,” he said.
Anwar was responding to a question from Ahmad Fadhli Shaari (Pasir Mas-PAS) on why PH had rejected Muhyiddin’s offer – of which the majority of the proposed reforms were included in the MoU signed yesterday – without first negotiating with the former prime minister.
Previously, on August 13, in a last-ditch effort to get the support of the opposition, Muhyiddin had promised a slew of reforms in exchange for support in the event of a confidence vote, after several Umno MPs withdrew their support.
The opposition, however, rejected his olive branch, and the Pagoh MP resigned as prime minister three days later.
Anwar also today clarified that the document inked with the government is not a CSA, which he said is a form of agreement that would see the opposition legitimise the ruling government.
“This didn’t happen in this MoU,” he said, maintaining that the opposition’s stand remains that the prime minister should test his confidence in the lower House.
“However, we do not want this issue (confidence vote) to cancel our efforts when it comes to Covid-19 and the economy.
“That is why I told the prime minister that, although we do not agree with his decision not to hold a vote of confidence in Parliament, we will still cooperate with him.”
Anwar also rubbished speculation that, with the signing of the MoU, PH is now bound to vote for the government when the 2022 Budget is tabled in the House.
He said the opposition will only consider supporting or abstaining from voting for the Budget if the government includes them in any of its discussions and negotiations.
“The same applies to other government motions and bills. We want to avoid rejecting them. But the condition must be that any process of enacting a law must be negotiated and agreed upon together in principle.” – The Vibes, September 14, 2021
