Loke: PM-Harapan meeting must be followed up with concrete reforms

 

The meeting between Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Pakatan Harapan can help change politics for the better but only if it can be followed up with concrete reforms, DAP national organising secretary Anthony Loke said.

"The meeting has the potential of changing the country's political landscape and country if the spirit of the meeting is followed up with concrete steps to reform governance and strengthen the parliamentary institution.

"The old paradigm, where the government solely sees the opposition as a political enemy and vice versa, need to be changed.

"Both have their respective roles and need to cooperate, even though we will be contesting against each other in the general election," Loke said in a statement.

Yesterday, Ismail met with PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng for more than an hour.

Following the meeting, they agreed in a joint statement on the need to strengthen Parliament and its role as a check and balance against the government.

They also agreed on the importance of an independent judiciary, institutional reforms and good governance.

'If both sides take a step back...'

No details were available about possible bipartisan changes yet.

"The challenge now is on how the government and opposition will realise the spirit of what was agreed during the meeting.

"I am confident that if both sides take a step back, we have a lot of room to achieve a consensus that will have a long-term positive impact on the country," he said.

Loke said politicians have a duty to restore the people's confidence in the country's political system.

"We must provide the leadership and let's do it together," he said.

Ismail, who was sworn in as the ninth prime minister last Saturday, has adopted a more reconciliatory approach to the opposition.

His predecessor Muhyiddin Yassin was forced to resign as the prime minister after losing his majority in the Dewan Rakyat.

Ismail has the support of 114 government MPs out of 220 MPs in the Dewan Rakyat. There are also two vacant seats. - Mkini