DPM meets opposition to discuss equal allocations for MPs

 

Deputy prime minister Fadillah Yusof said no specific time frame was given to the opposition to submit their proposals. (File pic)

PETALING JAYA: Deputy prime minister Fadillah Yusof had met with Perikatan Nasional chief whip Takiyuddin Hassan to discuss the equal allocations for MPs in the opposition.

Fadillah said he had requested for Takiyuddin to draft the proposal so negotiations could be held in the near future, The Borneo Post reported.

Takiyuddin was told to put the proposal in “black and white”, Fadillah said, adding that only then would the government start negotiations.

“And then, we’ll see what the scopes are where we can cooperate within the framework of the bipartisan pact between the government and the opposition,” he was quoted as saying.

“It’s just like what happened in the previous government where there was an MoU,” he said referring to the agreement inked between Pakatan Harapan, then the opposition, and Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s government.

Fadillah also said no specific time frame was given to the opposition to submit their proposals.

PN had recently named three representatives to discuss funding for opposition MPs with Fadillah.

The trio are opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin, Takiyuddin who is also PAS secretary-general, and Putrajaya MP Radzi Jidin.

The decision to hold discussions with Fadillah comes in the wake of an agreement by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim that all MPs should receive equal funding, regardless of their political leanings.

Separately, Fadillah said the government was drawing up several strategies to strengthen food security in the country.

Fadillah, who is also plantation industries and commodities minister, said the ministry and the agriculture and food security ministry would look at “the entire value chain”.

“We have to look at the quality of seeds and agricultural inputs, fertilisers, breeds, animal feed and so on.” - FMT