THE opposition turned down the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) concerning allocations for Perikatan Nasional (PN) Members of Parliament because they felt the government's terms were too harsh and unfair.
PN Chairman, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, pointed out that under these conditions, it seems like PN would have to surrender everything to the government just to get a specific allocation.
He mentioned, "I saw the Deputy Prime Minister's statement... he said Syed Saddiq (MP for Muar) accepted it.
“That's fine for Syed Saddiq, but PN has valid reasons for rejecting it.
"The government's conditions are quite extreme, to the point where we have to give everything to Pakatan Harapan just to secure an allocation of RM200,000 or RM300,000," he told reporters at the Bersatu Negeri Sembilan Ramadan Breaking of Fast event in Nilai.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof had earlier said Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman is expected to receive allocations for his parliamentary constituency as the government is ready to consider his request.
Fadillah said Syed Saddiq, in principle, had agreed to several conditions set by the government.
Muhyiddin noted that when PN was in power, all opposition MPs received allocations without any strings attached.
"When we were the PN government, we provided everything without conditions.
“The funds are meant for the people in those areas, not for personal gain.
“Their selective approach shows they are favouring those who support them and sidelining those who don’t," he explained.
He acknowledged that Syed Saddiq might have his reasons for accepting the government's terms, but PN does not share that view. Muhyiddin also mentioned that they had made several attempts to negotiate with the government about the expected allocations.
"If the media looks at the conditions … everyone agrees they are inappropriate and unreasonable.
“With our experience, we know this contradicts our principles, and we just can't accept it." – March 10, 2025