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KUALA LUMPUR – Pakatan Harapan (PH) did not uphold the spirit of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the government and opposition when they requested for bloc voting for the motion to extend enforcement of Subsection 4 (5) of the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa said the spirit and purpose of the MoU were clearly aimed to stabilise and harmonise administration, as well as support Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob in managing the country’s recovery.
“It was also to reduce politicking so we can focus on the people’s interests," he said in a post on Facebook today.
As one of the eight members of the MoU Consultative Committee, Annuar also sought clarification from DAP secretary-general and Seremban MP Anthony Loke on the sudden action by PH.
“Why is PH so determined to defeat the government’s vote to the extent of rejecting votes from four Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs who were already in the hall while the voting was still going on?” he said.
Annuar, who is also the Ketereh MP, said PH should ask to negotiate the matter if it does not agree with the motion to continue powers to detain suspects for up to 28 days without trial under the law.
He said PH should take responsibility if the MoU is revoked.
“As I have emphasised, BN is not afraid to face PH in GE15 (15th general election). The recent UMNO general assembly already made a resolution related to GE15 and we, as loyal party members, fully support it,” he said.
The motion to extend the enforcement of subsection 4(5) of Sosma for another five years was not approved by the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
The motion, tabled by Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, was failed in a bloc vote that saw 84 MPs in favour and 86 against.
When announcing the vote outcome, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun said that a total of 50 MPs were not present. – Bernama, March 24, 2022