Bersih urges govt, opposition to formalise cooperation

Electoral watchdog Bersih has urged the new government and the opposition to formalise as soon as possible their cooperation on finding common ground to achieve political stability, institutional reforms, and better governance.

This comes after Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Pakatan Harapan leaders released a joint statement yesterday agreeing to strengthen the parliamentary institution and acknowledging the importance of an independent judiciary and good governance.

“Bersih commended the steps initiated by both the government and the opposition to focus their energy on fighting the Covid-19 pandemic, revive the country’s economy and reform the institutions for political stability,” Bersih said in a statement today.

This understanding between the government and the opposition should be formalised as soon as possible with signed confidence and supply agreements (CSAs) and jointly announced to the public to ensure accountability, it added.

There should also be a timeline set to achieve the fulfilment of the reforms, it said.

“The prime minister should similarly invite other parties and independent MPs to discuss common grounds as well as to sign inter-party agreements among his own supporting parties and MPs.

“This would ensure political stability and gives meaning and substance to the prime minister’s slogan of ‘Keluarga Malaysia’,” said Bersih.

In order to facilitate the goals of political stability, institutional reform and better governance, Bersih once again put forth its ‘10-point cross-party peace plan’.

This includes, among others, a term limit for prime minister, a cabinet manual that supplements the Federal Constitution, and parliamentary reform to strengthen the role of Parliament.

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