Tasek Gelugor MP Wan Saiful Wan Jan has invited PKR's Rafizi Ramli to revive a 2015 proposal by the latter to disallow the prime minister from holding the finance portfolio as well.
He said that while the government's plan to impose a term limit on the prime minister's post is proper, it would be meaningless if a premier is still allowed to hold the finance portfolio.
According to the opposition representative, he is ready to work with Rafizi (above, left) and those aligned with the Pandan MP to re-table a private member's bill on the matter at the Dewan Rakyat again.
"I want to remind this august house that, if I remember correctly, Pandan had brought a private bill on Sept 23, 2015, seeking to disallow a prime minister from holding the finance minister portfolio at the same time.
"However, the private member's bill was rejected (by the Dewan Rakyat).
"So today, I want to openly invite Pandan (MP) and his friends who are still true to their reformasi spirit. Why don’t we join hands to bring back this proposal so it can be debated and passed at the Dewan Rakyat?
"If Pandan is willing to share the draft of his 2015 bill, I am ready to be a joint proposer," Wan Saiful said.
Dual portfolio
In September 2015, Rafizi sought to table a private member's bill titled “Act of Separation of Position (Prime Minister and Finance Minister) 2015” in the Parliament.
The bill stipulates that a minister can only hold one cabinet position, with the prime minister choosing his finance minister from among the parliamentarians and senators.
The move was aimed at the then-prime minister Najib Abdul Razak, who refused to quit amid a credibility crisis.
Back then, Najib also served as the finance minister.
However, the bill was rejected by then-Dewan Rakyat speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia.
On Jan 20, opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin said Perikatan Nasional is ready to back Putrajaya’s proposal to impose a term limit on the prime minister’s post, but on one condition.
The former home minister stated that the proposal must also include a clause to prevent a prime minister from also holding the finance portfolio at the same time.
For the record, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim also serves as finance minister I, with Amir Hamzah Azizan serving as finance minister II.
In its manifesto for the 2018 general polls, Pakatan Harapan had made a list of 60 promises, one of which includes "the prime minister will not simultaneously hold other ministerial posts, especially the post of minister of finance”.
However, despite having won the 14th general election, the then-Harapan administration under Dr Mahathir Mohamad's leadership did not bring any proposal to seal this promise.
The promise was removed from the coalition's manifesto for the 15th general election in 2022. - Mkini
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