IDEAS welcomes MoU on Transformation and Political Stability between govt and opposition

The MoU includes several important elements. On the COVID-19 front, it is significant that the composition of the members of the National Recovery Council will include public and private sector experts as well as Opposition members. The cash aid of RM10 billion for 11 million Malaysians is also a welcome relief for many who have lost their sources of income due to the pandemic. IDEAS also welcomes the opportunity for the Opposition to contribute meaningfully to the contents of Budget 2022. Limiting the Prime Minister’s term to 10 years also provides opportunities for young politicians to rise up more quickly towards leadership positions, and reduce personality-driven patronage within incumbent political parties.

On institutional reforms, IDEAS welcomed the commitment to hasten the implementation of Undi18 and automatic voter registration after many delays. Another important commitment was to reintroduce the Parliamentary Services Act in order for Parliament to exercise autonomy in its administration and finances. Lastly, the balance of representation between Opposition and Government MPs in Parliamentary Select Committees (PSCs) is important to ensure effective check and balance in the Committees’ deliberations. IDEAS CEO Tricia Yeoh commented, “The signing of this MoU today comes after over a year of uncertainty in our political situation, which has greatly eroded the people’s confidence in our institutions. We are hopeful that the principles committed to by the government and PH today will not only be lip service, but will be translated into action. There is no better time than now to push for meaningful institutional reforms and we hope these commitments will be implemented according to the stipulated timeline, without delay. This also sends a strong signal that political goals and outcomes can be achieved through healthy policy competition and negotiation, which we greatly encourage.”

“However, IDEAS is concerned that only MPs involved in the signing of this MoU are granted equal allocations for constituency development funds (CDFs). As argued in our joint statement with Bersih 2.0, all MPs should be entitled to equitable CDF allocations as they all serve Malaysians in their respective constituencies and should therefore be entitled to these funds regardless of their political affiliations.”