SOSMA: Issue of not having confidence in PM does not arise - Loke

Anthony Loke Siew Fook (PH-Seremban) said the rejection of the motion also had nothing to do with the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Transformation and Political Stability that was signed between the government and Pakatan Harapan (PH) since the motion was not discussed with the opposition bloc first.

"The SOSMA issue was not discussed with us. We did not agree with the motion (to extend SOSMA). But does the rejection mean that the Bera MP (Ismail Sabri) has lost the confidence... the answer is no.

"Now, if anyone disputes or has questions that Bera (Ismail Sabri) has lost the confidence (of the Dewan Rakyat), then put forward a motion of vote of confidence in the Dewan Rakyat, we will remain neutral. So, the issue of not having confidence does not arise at all," he said when debating the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2022 at the Dewan Rakyat today.

He said the opposition bloc only knew of the motion to extend the enforcement of subsection 4(5) of the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 yesterday.

The motion, tabled by Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin yesterday, was not passed in a bloc vote which saw 85 Members of Parliament (MPs) agreeing and 86 disagreeing while 49 were absent.

On a statement that PH had contravened the MoU because it rejected the motion, Loke said: "For us (opposition), we hold on to the principle that there are policy matters that we disagree in this SOSMA, (so) we make it known that we do not agree.

"But there are matters we agree (namely) we want to ensure the government's stability until we hold the GE (General Election)," he said.

Meanwhile, Minister in the Prime Minster's Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, when winding up the debate on the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2022, said the MoU between the government and PH would not be terminated automatically if a motion was not supported.

"My opinion is based on Article 4.1 of the MoU whereby it will not expire automatically if a motion does not meet Articles 3.1 to 3.3 of Appendix 1. It is still open for discussions between both the opposition and government.

"This means if there is a contradiction, for example what happened yesterday (the SOSMA issue), the MoU will not expire automatically," he said.