After Sosma Defeat Umno President Wants Instant End To Shackles Of Mou

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The government’s failure in its motion to extend the detention period under Section 4 (5) of the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) in Parliament yesterday has come as a shock and is an indication that Umno-BN must immediately free itself from the “shackles of a weak cooperation”, said Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Zahid said that if we refer to the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government and Pakatan Harapan, Article 3 clearly states that the opposition must agree, or abstain, in any motion brought by the government.
"It was one of the steps taken to create political stability in the administration.
"However, when the motion tabled failed due to lack of support from the opposition, it is appropriate for all of us to conclude that they have broken their promises, violated the agreement and completely ignored their previous commitments," the Bagan Datuk MP said on Facebook.
According to Zahid, who is believed to be pushing for an early general election, the opposition is not interested in creating political stability.
"In fact, Harapan is actually very likely to forget their promises and commitments easily. In my view, there is no point for us to continue to stick to their promises.
"The government must have its own strong majority and not rely on the courtesy and discretion of the opposition.
"Governments such as the one in the present position will not be respected, are unstable and will not be able to smoothly put forward and succeed in good policies," he added.
Communications and Multimedia Minister Annuar Musa‘Blessing in disguise’
Last night, Communications and Multimedia Minister Annuar Musa struck a similar tone claiming that Harapan’s rejection of the parliamentary motion to renew a key provision of Sosma was tantamount to violating the MOU.
Annuar claimed this would be a “blessing in disguise” as it would allow Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to dissolve Parliament and pave the way for the 15th general election.
This is despite Article 9.1 of the MOU stipulating that the agreement would not bar its function as check-and-balance against government powers.
The MOU on Transformation and Political Stability was signed by Ismail Sabri and top Harapan figures on Sept 13 last year.
Under the agreement, Harapan pledged not to oust Ismail Sabri nor block Budget 2022, in exchange for the government’s implementation of a slew of reforms and agreeing not to dissolve Parliament earlier than July 31.
In the Dewan Rakyat yesterday, only 84 MPs supported the renewal when a bloc vote was called, compared to 86 who opposed it. Another 50 MPs were absent.
It is learned that three government MPs, including Annuar, were not allowed to vote due to their late arrival.
No respect for govt
Zahid, who is facing multiple corruption charges in court, said this latest development provided clear evidence that the government is no longer respected.
"The MOU also seems to be nothing more than a promise on paper.
"If you ask my stance and that of the party, I think everything is already very clear. In fact, our determination and stance during last week's Umno annual general assembly are rational and well-founded.
"I hope the people can see how fragile and risky the existing form of government is. In fact, it is a great lesson to political parties like Umno and BN," he added.
The latest developments, Zahid said, has strengthened his spirit and belief that Umno will rise again to become a strong and respected political force.
"We must be able to bring in good policies and motions without having to expect the support of opponents who like to drift in murky waters.
"To be sure, what happened here is something that is embarrassing to the government. It is a disgrace that demands us to strengthen ourselves strategically and immediately," he added. - Mkini

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