PH agrees Parliament not to be dissolved before July 31, 2022

KUALA LUMPUR: Pakatan Harapan (PH) has agreed that Parliament will not be dissolved before July 31, 2022, to ensure political stability in the country to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

PH Chief Whip Coordinator Anthony Loke Siew Fook said there was no need to hold a snap general election, instead, the country should focus on battling COVID-19.

"An important aspect of this understanding is to restore political stability. An important element of the understanding is that with this cooperation the government has also agreed that Parliament will not be dissolved before July 31, 2022.

"So, the focus is on fighting COVID-19," he told a press conference after the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Transformation and Political Stability between the government and PH at the Parliament Building, today.

Besides that, he said this agreement is also to enable the implementation of the transformation of Parliament, among others, by reinstating the Parliamentary Services Act and the tabling of the anti-hopping law.

"This provides a timeline to the implementation of matters that have been agreed upon as they have their set deadlines. For example, the deadline for the tabling of anti-hopping law is the first session of next year while the Parliamentary Services Act by the second session of next year," he said.

Earlier, the government and PH leaders created national history by signing the MoU to form strong bipartisan cooperation based on the spirit of the Malaysian Family.

The MoU contains six agendas including empowerment of the COVID-19 plan, administrative transformation, parliamentary reforms, independence of the judicial institution, Malaysia Agreement 1963, and the formation of steering committees.

Loke said the MoU is an important document that shows the commitment of the government and the opposition to affect political transformation, thus restoring the confidence of the people.

Meanwhile, PH secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the coalition's role as the opposition remains, adding that PH will not be involved in the executive function but will continue its role as the opposition in Parliament to maintain check and balance, oversight function as well as law and policymaking.

"This MoU is not a statutory declaration in support of the government. We are determined to continue the bipartisan concept and continue to function as the opposition. If there are weaknesses in terms of government's governance, we will still speak up," he said.

Saifuddin Nasution said a steering committee comprising five individuals from both sides will make sure that all matters that have been agreed in the MoU will be implemented within the stipulated time.

When asked why only now PH decided to sign an MoU with the government, he said a similar offer was made by former Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, but at that time Muhyiddin had lost support and legitimacy as prime minister.

"Muhyiddin had lost the support of 15 members of parliament at that time and the prime minister who had lost his legitimacy could not make any offer.

"Now, the offer is to support the intention to bring stability where both sides will make effective contributions and fulfil the order of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong," he said.

-- BERNAMA