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KUALA LUMPUR – The memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the government and opposition bloc Pakatan Harapan (PH) does not expire until the dissolution of Parliament, and not on July 31 as claimed by Umno, said PKR communications chief Fahmi Fadzil.
Fahmi, who is Lembah Pantai MP, said many assume the agreement and the general election are intertwined, leading to “confusion” that the MoU will lapse on July 31.
“These are two different things – the end of the MoU and the dissolution of Parliament. These are two separate matters that are sometimes misunderstood or misread,” he said, as quoted by The Vibes’ Bahasa Malaysia sister portal Getaran.
“The MoU between the government and PH will remain in effect until Parliament is dissolved. So as long as Parliament is not dissolved, the MoU remains in place. The MoU states clearly that the government has agreed to not dissolve Parliament before July 31, 2022.
“That means that if Parliament dissolves on August 1, the MoU ends at that time and not on July 31. The MoU has no expiry date.
“The current parliamentary term is until July 15, 2023 because we were sworn in on July 16, 2018. Anything related to early dissolution and beyond depends on the decision made by both sides.”
He added that the dissolution of Parliament was subject to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s discussion with the cabinet before bringing the matter to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
Fahmi said this today during the press conference on the highly-anticipated debate between PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Umno’s Datuk Seri Najib Razak, which is scheduled for May 12.
Also present during the press conference was Selangor Barisan Nasional information chief Isham Jalil.
However, Isham insisted that Umno did not sign the MoU with PH, adding that the party top brass is not tied to any agreement made by the government.
That is why, he said, Ismail Sabri has been urged to dissolve Parliament.
“Even though (DAP secretary-general) Anthony Loke told Umno to not intervene, I feel that he does not understand that the MoU is between the government and PH. Umno is not obliged (to follow).
“I know Ismail Sabri is a party man although he will hold talks with parties in the ruling bloc.”
On Thursday, Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan issued a statement saying the party’s supreme council decided to “end” the MoU on July 31, triggering responses from political parties on both sides.
The MoU materialised on September 13 last year and was signed by Ismail Sabri, Anwar, DAP’s Lim Guan Eng, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu and United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation president Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau.
The MoU entailed the country’s Covid-19 recovery plans, judicial independence, the Malaysia Agreement 1963, and proposed anti-party hopping legislation, among others. – The Vibes, April 17, 2022
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