THE ten-member steering committee that will oversee the implementation of the government and Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) memorandum of understanding (MOU) will have an equal composition of opposition coalition and government representatives. 

The appointments are to be made by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

“The steering committee members will act as negotiators, facilitators and official representative for both sides.

“The steering committee’s status will be effective for the duration the MOU is in force according to the terms agreed by both sides,” according to the the document, which has been made available on the Parliament’s website.

The memorandum further states that the committee is to meet at least once every fortnight or according to scheduling arrangements by both parties.

The MOU on Transformation and Political Stability was signed by Ismail Sabri and PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, Amanah chairman Mohamad Sabu, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, and Upko president Wilfred Madius Tangau yesterday.

The MOU has six thrusts, namely, strengthening the country’s Covid-19 plan, institutional transformation, parliamentary reforms, judiciary independence, the Malaysia Agreement 1963, and the formation of the steering committee.

Under the agreed deal, the government has promised to deliver three major reforms by the middle of next year, before the next or fifth session of Parliament.

They are the anti-party hopping law, the implementation of Undi18 and automatic voter registration, the imposition of a 10-year term limit on the prime minister’s tenure.

Various parliamentary reforms are also in the agreement, like the Parliamentary Services bills, which seeks to restore Parliament’s autonomy in its finances and administration.

“(This) will be done after discussions, consultations and the agreement of the Dewan Rakyat Speaker and the Senate president.

“These clauses (on Parliament’s autonomy) will be implemented no later than the second meeting of the fifth Parliament session (2022),” the MOU states.

Other parliamentary reforms include ensuring a balanced representation of government and opposition lawmakers in select committees, and ensuring an equal number of select committees are chaired by government and opposition MPs respectively. 

The opposition leader will also be given a ministerial status, and select committee chairmen will be provided with support staff and allowances to carry out their duties more efficiently.

Opposition MPs who are party to the MOU will get the same allocation as government MPs for their constituencies.

There will also be an equal representation of government and opposition MPs on the national recovery council.

Members of each bloc will make up 25% of the membership, while experts from government and private sectors will make up the remaining 50% of the council. 

The government will also table a bill to increase the Covid-19 funds from RM65 billion to to RM110 billion, which includes more funding for the find, test, trace, isolate, support and vaccinate initiative.

The RM45 billion increase in Covid-19 funds will also cater for an exemption of interest payments for the recently announced loan moratorium. 

The bottom 50% group of Malaysians will be the recipients of the three-month moratorium which will begin in the fourth quarter of 2021.

The MOU will be in effect until the dissolution of the 14th Parliament session, and the government has agreed to not call for a dissolution of Parliament before July 31, 2022.

PH, meanwhile, has pledged not to vote against major bills including the Budget, and only support or abstain if it is part of discussions and consultations on those bills.

Both sides also agree that PH will continue its role as the opposition to provide checks and balances on the government.

According to the MOU, the above parliamentary reforms are to be implemented immediately. – September 14, 2021.