Civil society worries instability will persist if Parliament not convened soon

 

Civil society groups have expressed concern that waiting until September to test Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's confidence in the Dewan Rakyat will cause political instability to persist.

They said this was on top of their worry of party hopping.

"An immediate sitting is needed to prove the prime minister’s majority in Parliament.

"It is feared that the delay in convening the Dewan Rakyat session will drag the country into a more precarious situation, especially involving the lives, health and survival of Malaysians.

"The delay would lead to an unhealthy political situation, including party hopping practices as is common in this country," they said in a joint press statement.

"Such a situation should be avoided as it distracts the country's leaders from dealing with the raging crises," they added. 

Among the 25 signatories of the statement include Pertubuhan Ikram Malaysia, Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia, Bersih, Persatuan Patriot Kebangsaan and Gabungan Bertindak Malaysia.

Muhyiddin had said that he will test his majority in the Dewan Rakyat next month after several Umno MPs withdrew their support for him.

Deputy Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob had said 31 out of 42 BN parliamentarians are still supportive of Muhyiddin. However, two BN lawmakers who were included in that list have since disputed the claim, leaving them with 29 MPs from the coalition at most.

Coupled with the 73 non-BN MPs in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government, Muhyiddin is estimated to have the support of 102 MPs, short of the 111 he needs for a majority.

However, this could change if there are further switching of allegiance in the coming weeks.

The civil society groups urged all parties to put the interest of the country and people first.

"Priority should be given to address the Covid-19 pandemic and economic conditions burdening the people to the point of affecting the well-being of family institutions and causing various psychological and social problems," they said.

The groups added that all MPs and political parties should set aside their differences and work together to combat the pandemic. - Mkini