PKR man lashes out at Warisan for sitting out budget vote

 

Sabah PKR’s Razeef Rakimin singled out Warisan whip Rozman Isli over the absence of Warisan MPs at two divisional votes at the Dewan Rakyat.

PETALING JAYA: A Sabah PKR Youth leader has slammed Warisan after its MPs sat out a budget vote on Monday to show their dissatisfaction with opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

Razeef Rakimin, Sabah PKR Youth information chief, singled out Warisan whip Rozman Isli, saying the excuse given by the latter was childish.

“This isn’t the first time I have reprimanded Warisan leaders for their arrogance and in fact I was told that such behaviour would be their downfall. And this is what happened in the last state election,” he said in a statement.

Earlier today, Rozman, who is the Labuan MP, told Malaysiakini that their absence was deliberate to “send a signal” to Pakatan Harapan, saying Warisan was tired of the infighting in the opposition bloc.

He also said the party was frustrated with Anwar over the “last-minute instructions” to opposition MPs last week when a vote was taken on the federal budget at the policy stage.

“We are still in the opposition bloc but we want to send a signal to our opposition leadership that we don’t want to be pushed around and I don’t think they are doing the right strategy (or) the right moves,” Rozman was quoted as saying.

Rozman added that Warisan MPs would continue to sit out on the bloc votes “for an unstipulated time frame.”

But Razeef said it was not the time for politicking just because one is unhappy with their ally. “You were voted for by the people to represent them in the Dewan Rakyat so carry out your responsibility.”

He said that they did not rule out the possibility that Warisan MPs had been directed by Dr Mahathir Mohamad to sabotage opposition efforts in retaliation for Mahathir’s failure to muster the support of 15 MPs to force a vote by division on the second reading of the Supply Bill last Thursday.

“I would like to remind them to prioritise the people instead of the interest of certain individuals,” Razeef said.

The estimates for the Prime Minister’s Department were approved by a division vote of 105-95 with 20 MPs absent, while the finance ministry estimates were approved, also in a division, by 107-95 with 18 absent.

Warisan has eight MPs.

PKR’s Christina Liew says family matters kept her away

Sabah PKR chairman Christina Liew said she was absent for the votes because she was in Sabah on family matters for a relative who underwent surgery.

Liew, who is MP for Tawau, was among Sabah MPs who were not in the hall when the vote was held. - FMT