KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 15 — Perikatan Nasional (PN) has unanimously rejected the two drafts of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the government and PN, as well as between the government and all PN MPs, citing four primary concerns.

Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin said that some conditions in the MoU were seen as unconstitutional.

“Certain conditions in the MoU are feared to undermine the special rights of Malays and Bumiputera as protected by the Federal Constitution,” he said in a statement today.

He further criticised the draft for including terms that conflicted with traditional, cultural, moral, religious, and local values.

“This draft MoU also appears to restrict MPs’ freedom of speech. Each MP is entitled to speak on behalf of their constituents, protected under Act 347, the Houses of Parliament (Privileges and Powers) Act 1952,” he added.

Hamzah also highlighted concerns that the draft could be misinterpreted, misused, or breached due to the absence of a clear operational framework.

He reminded the government of Pakatan Harapan’s manifesto promise to provide equal allocations to all MPs, regardless of party affiliation.

However, Hamzah did not specify which conditions were particularly problematic.

On September 2, Perikatan Nasional’s chief whip, Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan, said that the MoU did not specify the exact amount of funding for Opposition MPs and included several ambiguities that required further discussion with Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof’s office.

Among the conditions is a requirement for non-administrative MPs to declare their assets, a measure previously applied only to ministers and deputy ministers.

Takiyuddin also said that the draft imposes restrictions on PN MPs concerning issues related to race, religion, and royalty, and requires Opposition MPs to support the government until the end of the 15th parliamentary term.

In response, Fadillah explained that the conditions were designed to promote harmony and political stability, and to prevent any attempts to destabilise the current government.

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/09/15/perikatan-rejects-putrajayas-draft-mou-for-opposition-mp-allocations-citing-constitutional-concerns-and-restrictions/150482