Unreasonable for PN to reject MOU on opposition MPs' allocation - Nga

DAP’s Parliament chief whip Nga Kor Ming has called Perikatan Nasional’s rejection of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) on opposition MP allocations unreasonable.

In a recording shared with Malaysiakini, the housing and local government minister said the conditions set out in the MOU were fair, and accused PN of making baseless excuses for refusing the offer.

“The terms we set are reasonable. When we were the opposition, we had productive discussions with Ismail Sabri Yaakob,” Nga (above) said, referencing the former prime minister.

“They keep giving excuses that just don’t add up. We’ve extended the offer, but they refuse to accept. What else can we do?”

Yesterday, opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin announced that the opposition had unanimously rejected two versions of the MOU - one between the government and PN, and another with all PN MPs.

Hamzah cited four main reasons for the rejection: the potential to affect the constitutional privileges of Malays and bumiputera; conditions that are contrary to cultural, moral, and religious principles; the potential for misinterpretation and abuse of power; and it is tantamount to a restriction of MPs' parliamentary privileges.

According to Nga, the MOU’s conditions were aimed at benefiting the country. For instance, one requirement was for wealthy opposition MPs to declare their assets if they received government funding, a measure PN opposed.

“We also asked them to refrain from spreading hatred that could incite racial tensions, but again, they refused. It seems they are deliberately stirring up trouble in our country,” he said.

Nga emphasised that the conditions were meant to foster a peaceful and harmonious Malaysia.

“We’re inviting them to join us in building the nation. Let’s work together for a stronger Malaysia instead of sowing division and hate," he said.

Irresponsible opposition

Earlier this month, opposition whip Takiyuddin Hassan said there are seven conditions in the MOU.

Echoing Nga, Astaka assemblyperson Jason Ng said that PN's rejection of the draft reflected the opposition's non-commitment towards the nation and rather prioritised political gains.

He said the government led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had always aspired to treat all constituencies fairly including those won by PN.

"The opposition's rejection of these MOU conditions, with baseless reasons such as the claim that it would undermine the special rights of Malays and bumiputera under the Federal Constitution, contradict cultural, moral, and religious values, or could lead to abuse of power and curtail freedoms, only proves that PN does not care about the nation’s and people’s interests.

"They are an irresponsible opposition," he said.

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