THE bipartisan memorandum of understanding (MOU) is not a free pass from the opposition to the government, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng reminded the government.

“Do not think just because we have signed the MOU, we have given (you) a free pass. No, no, no. We will still play our role of keeping checks and balances as the opposition,” Lim (Bagan-PH) said when debating the Royal Address in the Dewan Rakyat today.

“If you are wrong, we will correct. If you stray, we will bring you back to the right path. That is the role of the opposition, which we will continue to play,” he added.

He said the MOU – signed by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Pakatan Harapan party heads on Monday – will be cancelled if the government fails to keep to its terms.

“If it is not fulfilled, then it will be cancelled automatically. We are sincere and honest. We want attention to be given towards the fight against Covid-19 and to save the economy,” Lim said.

“This is because lives and livelihoods are more important than anything else.”

He said the government accepted some of the proposals mooted by PH, including the waiver of interest payments for bank loan moratoriums for low-income groups, and injecting another RM45 billion to the Covid-19 fund.

Lim said all these would not have happened if not for the MOU, which covers parliamentary and institutional reforms, including giving the opposition a greater say in consultations on government bills before they are tabled.

As for legislative improvements, Ismail proposed that all bills be tabled, discussed, and mutually agreed upon in Parliament.

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

These are the anti-party hopping law, the implementation of Undi18 and automatic voter registration, and to amend the Federal Constitution to limit the term of the prime minister to 10 years.

Equal funding will be provided to government MPs and their opposition counterparts covered by the MOU, while the office of the opposition leader will be raised in status, facilities and allowances.

One of the terms in exchange, is not to dissolve Parliament before July 31, 2022. – September 15, 2021.