Unity govt MoU a disgrace to democracy, says MIC man

 

RT Rajasekaran (left) says his personal stand will not affect how MIC’s M Saravanan will vote in Parliament tomorrow on the confidence motion.

PETALING JAYA: MIC secretary-general RT Rajasekaran has slammed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between parties in the unity government, calling it a disgrace to parliamentary democracy.

Stressing that it was his personal stand, Rajasekaran, who is also a Barisan Nasional (BN) Supreme Council member, called for the MoU to be discarded because there was no transparency in its formulation.

“It is my belief that the MoU is not legally binding on the MPs and should be disregarded.

“It is a disgrace to a democratically elected Parliament and will make Malaysia a disgrace in the eyes of the world if it is enforced,” he said in a statement.

When asked to clarify how Tapah MP M Saravanan would vote in the motion of confidence for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim tomorrow, Rajasekaran said his personal views would not affect his party colleague’s vote.

Saravanan is MIC deputy president and the sole representative of the party in the Dewan Rakyat.

Rajasekaran said that as far as the BN Supreme Council was concerned, it had met on Nov 22 and made a clear decision that the coalition would neither support Pakatan Harapan (PH) nor Perikatan Nasional (PN) and would, henceforth, act as an opposition force following the outcome of the recent general election (GE15).

The MoU was signed on Friday by Anwar, as PH chairman, BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) chairman Abang Johari Openg, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) chairman Hajiji Noor and Warisan president Shafie Apdal.

The pact drew brickbats from several quarters due to a controversial clause in the agreement — Article 4 — which stipulates that MPs in the unity government who fail to vote or support the prime minister in the confidence motion, supply bills, or procedural motions relating to the government’s stability would be deemed to have resigned from his or her party and the seat will become vacant.

Some groups claim this would deprive MPs of their right to vote as they wish, a right that is protected by the Federal Constitution. - FMT