Kota Kinabalu: A Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) leader urged Pakatan Harapan (PH) to admit its shortsightedness and political miscalculation in regards to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Umno’s Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
Warisan Luyang Branch Chief Samuel Wong (pic) said the latest deferment of the Anti-hopping Bill has proven that the MoU has brought no benefit to the people, even though PH received hundreds of millions of ringgit in direct grants and allocations.
“DAP and PH leaders claimed that the MoU was for the Anti-hopping Law, for political stability, for economic recovery and so forth But the Anti-hopping Bill has been deferred for the second time.
“The economy has not recovered. The political situation is still not stable. The people has gained nothing from the MoU, but PH has gained access to approximately RM166.7 million in direct grants and RM178 million in project allocation,” he said in a statement, Tuesday.
Clarifying Warisan’s stand on the Anti-hopping Bill, Samuel likened PH’s move as painting a false narrative that Warisan opposes to the Anti-hopping Bill, when in fact its party leaders fully support the bill.
“Warisan is not against the Anti-hopping Bill. Warisan’s leaders have on numerous occassions clarified that we will support the Bill.”
“Two weeks ago, Sepanggar MP Dato’ Azis Jamman reiterated Warisan’s position. Yesterday, Monday in Parliament, Warisan President, Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal reiterated the same stance again.”
“We have said it and we will say it again that Warisan will support the Bill if tabled. But where we differ from PH is, in supporting the Anti-hopping Bill, we do not need to compromise our position by signing any MoU to support Umno.”
“We do not want to take millions from Umno and then use the Anti-hopping Bill as a cover line to cheat the people,” he said.
Samuel added that Warisan had supported good bills in the past without being tied to any MoU, such as the the Constitutional Amendment to restore Sabah and Sarawak’s position in the Federation of Malaysia.” He also clarified that the only requirement to pass any laws is a simple majority (normal statutes) and two-thirds majority (constitutional amendment).
“For 60 years or so, Parliament has passed so many Bills and laws. None of these Bills or laws ever required any MoU.”
“But today in 2021/2, PH is trying to cheat the public that an MoU is needed to pass the Anti-hopping Bill. There is no need for any MoU to pass the Anti-hopping Bill” he stressed.
