[ad_1]
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said on Thursday (May 14) that the ruling government has limited next week’s parliamentary session to a real speech most likely because it does not have the confidence to command a majority in the camera.
His comments came amid a chorus of criticism from the opposition bank, after Parliament Speaker Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof announced that Members of Parliament (MP) will not meet after the actual speech.
Ad
In a Facebook Live, Anwar said that the opinion of Pakatan Harapan (PH) is that it is not appropriate to postpone the meeting immediately after the speech of the Malaysian king.
“If COVID-19 is the reason, the seating arrangement has already been taken … If this is already complete, we can surely have a meeting. So we believe that the meeting should be called, “he said.
On Wednesday, the speaker said that the change in the agenda for next Monday’s parliamentary session was a government decision, having taken into consideration the current situation of COVID-19.
This meant that no government business would be discussed in the lower house on Monday. Motions previously accepted by the speaker, including those of Dr. Mahathir Mohamad The proposed vote of no confidence against Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin also failed to see the light of day.
Ad
A statue of Malaysia’s Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman is displayed in front of the parliament building in Kuala Lumpur on July 17, 2018. (Photo: AFP / Mohd Rasfan)
The announcement did not sit well with PH politicians, who believed the move was to delay the vote of no confidence against Muhyiddin. In February he led the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia out of PH and joined forces with the former ruling coalition to take power.
“I think this is due in large part to the fact that the government does not trust that it has garnered the support of the majority of parliamentarians,” Anwar said on his Facebook Live.
He claimed that there are parliamentarians who will leave the government when they are not awarded ministerial positions or positions in government-linked corporations, urging people to choose candidates who hold fast to their principles and ideals in the upcoming general election.
READ: Comment – The wheels were set in motion for another political confrontation in Malaysia
MAHATHIR SAYS THE CHANGE IN THE AGENDA IS AN ATTEMPT TO BLOCK HIM FROM TALKING
Dr. Mahathir, the former prime minister whose resignation caused the collapse of the PH government, described the ruling government’s decision as an attempt to block him from speaking as a deputy in the House.
“Now that parliament is not allowed to meet, which means Muhyiddin doesn’t really have the support to be prime minister,” he said in a video posted on his Facebook page on Wednesday.
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad leaves after an event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on February 28, 2020. REUTERS / Lim Huey Teng
Dr. Mahathir insisted that Muhyiddin did not have command of the majority of the House at the time the latter swore before the king.
He said he had been waiting for the opportunity to speak in the House and explain the reasons for his filing of the no confidence vote.
Meanwhile, Mohamad Sabu, president of Parti Amanah Negara and a former defense minister, described the current government as a “back door government” and a “thornless government.”
According to the Star, Mohamad said the decision not to allow any debate during the one-day parliament session reflected “the absence of wisdom and democracy” in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government.
“It also shows the anger of the Perikatan government at the motion of mistrust in Muhyiddin’s leadership,” he said.
“If parliament is not an open platform for us to demonstrate the effectiveness of the country’s democratic system, does that mean that the streets will be the decisive platform after this?” I ask.
Former Minister Yeo Bee Yin, who is a member of Bakri’s parliament and the Democratic Action Party, said an online parliamentary session should be held if the pandemic is worrisome.
“If you are prime minister, whose majority is questioned but you (actually) have the majority, will you have your first session in parliament without questions and answers, without motion, without debate and without vote?” she wrote on her Facebook page.
SUPPORT TO THE REPEATED NASALS OF BARISAN FOR MUHYIDDIN
Meanwhile, the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition has continued to pledge support for Muhyiddin and his PN coalition.
At a press conference on Thursday, BN Secretary General Annuar Musa said that the 43 MPs are in favor of Muhyiddin’s leadership as prime minister.
“If there were a motion of mistrust in Parliament against PN (Perikatan Nasional), all Barisan MPs would vote en bloc for Muhyiddin as prime minister,” he said.
