Muhyiddin gets a boost ahead of Parliament sitting
Malaysian PM's allies express support but MOU lacks mention of electoral cooperation
Sign up now: Get insights on the biggest stories in Malaysia
Shannon Teoh Malaysia Bureau Chief In Kuala Lumpur , Shannon Teoh
Follow topic:
Malaysia's ruling parties announced yesterday their support for the establishment of Perikatan Nasional (PN), the loose alliance led by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin that came to power more than two months ago.
This offers a booster to Tun Sri Muhyiddin, who is president of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), ahead of today's parliamentary sitting, coming after weeks of intense scrutiny over whether he commands the majority of the legislature.
But the joint statement put out by Bersatu, Barisan Nasional (BN), Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS), Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), United Sabah Party and the Homeland Solidarity Party mentioned only that a "memorandum of understanding (MOU)... has been framed". It does not detail any political arrangement.
"There is no mention of political, especially electoral, cooperation. If the MOU is not expanded in future, it will be as some in Bersatu feared, that they will be left out in the cold at the next election," BowerGroupAsia political analyst Adib Zalkapli told The Straits Times.
The stated goals of the MOU are largely policy statements regarding race relations, economic prosperity and social welfare.
Top figures in Umno - whose president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi chairs the BN coalition, the largest bloc in PN - and PAS have repeatedly asserted that they backed Mr Muhyiddin only to oust the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government, with no plans to continue the alliance into the next election due in 2023.
Sarawak's ruling GPS has signalled it will support the government but not ink a formal coalition.
Mr Muhyiddin led more than 40 MPs out of PH in February, depriving the Mahathir Mohamad administration of its majority just 21 months after it had historically ended Umno's six-decade grip on power in the 2018 election.
Still, yesterday's agreement ties together at least 112 MPs - the minimum required for a simple majority in Parliament - on paper for the government a day before Parliament sits for the first time since Mr Muhyiddin took office.
The Prime Minister caused controversy last week after ordering the Speaker to adjourn proceedings to July 13 immediately after the King's annual opening speech today, effectively blocking attempts by the opposition to call for a vote against him.
Speaker Ariff Yusof had on May 8 accepted Tun Dr Mahathir's request for a motion of no-confidence in Mr Muhyiddin.
Top leaders of opposition parties yesterday accused the government of lacking legitimacy "arising from the failure of Tan Sri Muhyiddin to test his support among MPs".
In a joint statement, they also pointed to how RM35 billion (S$11.5 billion) in government spending announced over a month ago to rescue the economy from the coronavirus outbreak had yet to be approved by Parliament.
