Honour MoU, TI-M urges PM and PH

PETALING JAYA: Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) has urged Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Pakatan Harapan to honour the memorandum of understanding (MoU) they signed in September.

TI-M president Muhammad Mohan said Ismail and the signatory parties needed to prioritise economic and political stability, and ensure that Malaysia could “get back on its feet” rather than make way for a snap GE15.

“Failure to comply with the MoU will lead to a major trust deficit on the government not only by the rakyat but also among international observers,” he said in a statement today.

“There is more to democracy than elections and campaign treats or threats. Parliament must uphold its commitment to the rakyat and the laws it sought to reform since the last change of leadership and the signing of the MoU.

“Key reforms such as limiting the prime minister’s tenure to a maximum of 10 years, the anti-hopping law and parliamentary reforms were promised but none have been tabled. Was it all a farce or play acting to avoid a political downfall?”

Muhammad spoke of a need to take stock of the events that have taken place after GE14, with Malaysia seeing three different prime ministers, four snap state elections, and the economy in a downturn.

He also said the national action plan to combat corruption and abuse of power was insufficient when fundamental reforms have been “skewed, shelved, postponed repetitively and ignored” by the different leaders helming the government.

Among the proposed reforms outlined in the MoU between Putrajaya and PH is the tabling of an anti-hopping law, though this would be reportedly delayed as there was a need for “further deliberation”.

DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng said the MoU signed with the government will be “finished and ended” if the anti-hopping law is not tabled as promised.

The bill was supposed to be tabled during the current Dewan Rakyat meeting, with the last day of proceedings set for Thursday. — Free Malaysia Today