Bipartisanship with govt through MoU can benefit M’sia: PH leaders

KUALA LUMPUR – The passing of the historic anti-hopping bill and several other key reforms smoothly implemented due to the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by the government and main opposition bloc Pakatan Harapan (PH) has proven that Malaysia can benefit from bipartisan cooperation.  

This is the key takeaway given by several PH leaders who spoke to The Vibes. 

The leaders are of the belief that the “victory” of the MoU can offer a glimpse into what would entail in the future should no party or coalition have majority support to form the government.  

DAP lawmaker Ong Kian Ming said the triumphant passing of the anti-hopping bill shows that it is possible to have bipartisan support on legislative reforms that are widely supported by the public as well as by major political parties. 

Ong foresees that the signing of MoU between different parties and coalitions will be a norm from here on, as long as there is no one dominant party or coalition. 

If Barisan Nasional (BN) or Umno wins only about 50% of (parliamentary) seats, they will need to work with other parties to form a stable government. 

“There may be a need for another MoU after GE15 (15th general election) if the coalition that comes into power does not have a strong majority in Parliament,” the Bangi MP told The Vibes.

Amanah communications director Khalid Samad echoed the same sentiment as Ong, saying that the MoU remains a practical and pragmatic option for any government that respects the people’s choice. 

Pointing out that PH was voted in by the people, Khalid said it was only right for the government to accord such respect to the main opposition bloc by signing the MoU last September.  

I hope it was due to maturity and not expediency. Time will tell. 

“If the bipartisan approach is constantly applied irrespective of the majority of the government, then political maturity has been proven,” he said.  

Party leaders should be lauded

The Shah Alam MP said the effort taken by political leaders from both sides of the divide should be lauded especially where it was understood and emphasised that the MoU does not diminish the opposition’s role as an effective opposition, thus, maintaining its role in undertaking check and balance. 

“This bodes well for the future of Malaysian politics if it is looked at positively,” Khalid said.

“Party leaders played a major role by engaging with the government leaders and negotiating with them while having frequent discussions amongst themselves. 

“It was agreed that for the greater good and re-instilling confidence in the system, the anti-hopping law was a necessity.”  

PKR’s William Leong also concurred with Khalid’s views as he opines that party leaders have portrayed immense political maturity by coming together for the sake of political stability. 

The Selayang MP said this was shown by leaders when a non-partisan approach, which cares for the people’s concerns as well as their best interests, was adopted. 

“I think this is a unique situation and we have shown that, in Malaysia, we can get everyone together, for the sake of political stability, to look at what is best for the people and come up with all these reforms. 

“And that started from the signing of the MoU.” 

His coalition colleague from DAP Kasthuri Patto said it had not been a walk in the park for leaders to achieve what is now deemed to be a success today as they had to lay aside their political differences.

“Credit should be given to party leaders who pushed the government to make this happen,” the Batu Kawan MP said. 

“At the end of the day, no matter what opposition or independent MPs say, it is the government that has to take the initiative to table the amendment (of the anti-hopping bill).

If it lacks political willpower, the whole idea will be stillborn.

“This is a collective credit and as a whole, I think this will return honour and dignity back to parliamentary democracy and the electoral system.”

Last Thursday, the Dewan Rakyat unanimously passed the constitutional amendments to outlaw party-hopping via a bloc vote. 

All 209 MPs present supported the bill during the vote at the second reading of the policy stage, while 11 were absent.  

A similar figure was recorded for the third and final reading. 

The Constitution (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2022 requires a two-thirds majority for it to pass the lower House.

Unlike most other bills, the anti-hopping legislation needs not go through the committee stage of the Dewan Rakyat, as it was reported directly from the special parliamentary select committee before being tabled in the House.

The document will now be tabled, debated, and voted for in the Senate, before obtaining the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s approval to be gazetted into federal law.

Under the bill, MPs who party-hop will have to vacate their seats, and by-elections will then be held to elect new representatives.

The bill, however, stipulates several exceptions, including MPs who are fired from their parties, and if a party is disbanded or cancels its registration. 

MPs who are later appointed as Dewan Rakyat speaker will also not lose their seats. – The Vibes, August 5, 2022