Decide where you want to sit, Zaid tells Umno MPs

 

PETALING JAYA: Zaid Ibrahim has challenged Umno MPs to decide whether or not they will continue backing Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin by sitting among the government representatives when Parliament reconvenes tomorrow.

The former law minister said it is ridiculous for Umno to claim that it no longer supports the prime minister while continuing to back the government.

He also urged all MPs, even those in the opposition, to stop being concerned about political benefit and to state whether they support the government or opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

“Sure, we have many MPs who vehemently criticise the prime minister and the government, but they are not necessarily part of the opposition bench. In our system, no support to the prime minister equals no support to the government.

“On the contrary, because they sit on the government bench, we can say they are part of the government, their verbal attacks on the prime minister notwithstanding,” he said.

“The rakyat just wants to know the truth, no more play-acting for them. And they don’t need statutory declarations, nor can they stomach chameleons to confuse their lives further,” he told FMT.

Zaid said Malaysians want to know who are the MPs who have the “decency and courage” to make a move towards changing the government and where their elected representatives really stand.

He also urged Muhyiddin to keep to the words he uttered at the launch of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) meeting in 2020, where he said he wanted parliamentary democracy for Malaysia.

“If that is so, please allow the motion of the opposition leader to be debated and voted on by MPs. If the motion fails, it shows you have the majority, and you can rule happily ever after.

“With Umno vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob as your deputy, it is unlikely that the opposition can muster enough seats in Parliament to vote you out. Let’s make next week’s parliamentary sitting meaningful.”

Zaid also questioned why Dewan Rakyat speaker Azhar Azizan Harun rejected Anwar’s motion to debate the emergency ordinances, among others, asking if it was over fears that Muhyiddin would lose the majority support of MPs.

“I want to believe that the attorney-general was correct when he said there was no factual proof that the prime minister has lost his majority support. I want to believe Zuraida Kamaruddin’s statement that the prime minister has more than enough to win a vote of confidence.

“But the behaviour of the speaker suggests otherwise. Why go on a technicality about the error in the notice of motion given by the opposition leader, such that he is able to reject the request for the motions for debate on the emergency ordinances?

“Why not rectify the error and allow the motions to be laid before the house and take a vote?

“It is time we go back to a proper functioning government, and remove all doubt if the prime minister has majority support,” he said.

On July 12, Anwar had submitted a motion for debates to be held at the coming Dewan Rakyat sitting instead of devoting it to the tabling of government matters.

But Azhar said yesterday he rejected the PKR president’s motion, saying it was submitted too early, being filed three days before the notice for the special parliamentary sitting was issued.

“Standing Order 11(3) clearly states that the special session’s business must be decided by the prime minister. In this matter, your motion is not accounted for under matters of the special session which have been decided,” Azhar told Anwar in a written reply. - FMT