Coalition of NGOs wants Parliament to sit on Friday, PM to prove majority

 

Gabungan Bertindak Rakyat Malaysia coordinator Mustafa Mansor (right) and his assistant, Dr Maimunah Sargeant, after handing over the memorandum to a palace official.

PETALING JAYA: A coalition of nearly 40 NGOs has called on the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to use his power and discretion to instruct Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to reconvene Parliament immediately.

In a memorandum submitted to Istana Negara this morning, Gabungan Bertindak Rakyat Malaysia urged Muhyiddin to reconvene Parliament on Friday instead of September.

“The decision to postpone the sitting has also sparked controversial political polemic, more so since there is no rational and significant basis to justify the move.

“We take it that the prime minister is buying time to enable him to garner as much support from MPs as possible,” the coalition’s coordinator, Mustafa Mansor, told reporters after handing over the memorandum to a palace official.

The memorandum was the eighth submitted by the coalition since the Muhyiddin administration took over as the government.

Mustafa called on motorists to conduct a peaceful protest by waving either black or white flags from their cars should the sitting fail to take place on Friday.

Further, he said, the coalition wanted Muhyiddin to prove that he has majority support from the MPs to validate his position as prime minister and head of the Perikatan Nasional government.

“Assertive action must be taken if the evidence indicates that he does not have majority support. Action must be taken to replace the PN government that has failed to govern the country.”

He stressed that Muhyiddin must uphold democracy by proving his majority support either to the King or in the Dewan Rakyat.

So far, 15 Umno MPs have withdrawn support for Muhyiddin and his administration either through public or statutory declarations, leaving him well short of a majority. - FMT