The Malaysian Insight

PAKATAN Harapan (PH) should tear up the memorandum of understanding (MOU) on political stability and transformation that it signed with the government because it is not serving its purpose, Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P. Ramasamy said today.

The DAP lawmaker said the MOU did not benefit PH in any way, instead it was littered with unfulfilled objectives.

“PH must call off this MOU, which serves no purpose other than giving credibility to the Perikatan Nasional government.

“The MOU is an albatross around the neck of PH. The longer it hangs, the more problems are going to emerge,” Ramasamy said in a statement.

The MOU on transformation and political stability was signed by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, and PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, Amanah chairman Mohamad Sabu, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and Upko president Wilfred Madius Tangau on September 13.

The MOU has six objectives: strengthening the country’s Covid-19 plan, institutional transformation, parliamentary reforms, judicial independence, the Malaysia Agreement 1963, and the formation of the steering committee.

Under the agreed deal, the government has promised to deliver three major reforms by the middle of next year, before the next, or fifth, session of Parliament: the anti-party hopping law, the implementation of Undi18 and automatic voter registration, and a 10-year term limit for prime ministers.

Various parliamentary reforms are also in the agreement, such as the parliamentary services bills, which seek to restore Parliament’s autonomy in its finances and administration.

Other parliamentary reforms include ensuring a balanced representation of government and opposition lawmakers in select committees, and ensuring an equal number of select committees are chaired by government and opposition MPs respectively.

Ramasamy said given the recent defeat PH suffered in the Malacca elections, the coalition needs to find a new way forward in order for it to have a political future.

“PH might be out in the Malacca election, but it is definitely not out at national level.

“Rather than worrying too much about what happened, preparations have to be made for the coming general election.”

Umno made a triumphant return to power in Malacca by leading Barisan Nasional (BN) to a huge victory in the state polls, with the coalition winning 21 of the 28 seats, giving it a two-thirds majority.

As for PH, the Anwar Ibrahim-led pact won five seats – four by DAP and one by Amanah – while PKR left empty-handed.

PKR contested in 11 seats, and among its big names to lose include PKR information chief Shamsul Iskandar in Paya Rumput, and former chief minister and Umno leader Idris Haron at Asahan.

While PH may not be able to repeat its past performance in the 14th general election – when it formed a government – Ramasamy said it has no choice but to start focusing on the next general election.

“In the last general election, things were in favour of the PH. Its high morale in exposing the 1MDB financial scandals and others worked in favour of the PH.

“It was able to project an image of an alternative government to that of the BN. I am not sure whether PH can repeat the same admirable performance.

“It has no choice but to start now. There are enough scandals and corruption to be exposed.”

He added that it was also time that talks around electoral reform go beyond the first past the post system and address popular votes. – November 23, 2021.