No expiry date for govt-opposition MOU, says Annuar
He told reporters last night that the government and Pakatan Harapan merely agreed to not hold the 15th general election before July 31...
There is no “expiry date” for the government’s memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the opposition bloc, said MOU Negotiation and Implementation Committee member Annuar Musa.
He told reporters last night that the government and Pakatan Harapan merely agreed to not hold the 15th general election (GE15) before July 31.
“The MOU has no expiry date. Many who misunderstand this need to be corrected. What was agreed was that the GE15 cannot be held before July 31.
“But the MOU with the MPs, including the opposition, with the government, specifically the prime minister (Ismail Sabri Yaakob), has no expiry date, and the MOU provides backing for the PM until Parliament is dissolved.
“Upon dissolution, it’s up to the prime minister and the leadership to decide,” he was quoted as saying by Bernama.
He said this after the Communications and Creative Industry Digital Economy Council Meeting in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah last night.
Annuar added that Parliament should not be dissolved too late as that would give BN opponents an advantage but it should also not be dissolved too early that the coalition is not sufficiently prepared.
“It will be held when we are ready. The party leadership will decide when that will be. Preparation is in terms of organisation, data collation, funding and the situation the people are in.
“If we do it (hold GE15) when the people are suffering, we won’t feel happy… all these have to be studied in detail,” he said.
The MOU was signed between Ismail Sabri and four Harapan leaders on Sept 13, 2021, to restore political stability after yet another change in government in August that year, in line with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s decree for more bipartisanship.
The MOU covers the strengthening of Covid-19 management, governance transformation, parliamentary reforms, ensuring judicial independence, the Malaysia Agreement 1963, and the formation of a steering committee.
It included a conditional promise by Harapan to not oust Ismail Sabri or block Budget 2022.
Putrajaya, under the MOU, promised not to dissolve Parliament until at least July 31 in order to have enough time to implement various reforms sought by Harapan in exchange for the opposition not obstructing key government agendas.
Umno decided on April 14 that the MOU would not be extended any further after its deadline in July.
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