OPPOSITION parties Warisan, Pejuang and Muda must support and sign a memorandum of understanding with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to deliver political stability and overcome the nation’s economic and health crises, Lim Kit Siang said today.

The Iskandar Puteri MP said this was why opposition pact Pakatan Harapan had inked the confidence and supply reform deal with the government.

The historic agreement for political stability and transformation was signed on September 13.

“DAP and PH will do their utmost to make the CSR MOU work although there is no guarantee that it will successfully usher Malaysia into a new political landscape,” he said in a statement.

The DAP leader PH would strive to honour its undertaking to ensure the Covid-19 pandemic was contained and managed.

“This is why there must be a political ceasefire in the next 10-18 months to unite Malaysians to single-mindedly win the losing war against the Covid-19 pandemic and overcome the existential threat posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We do not want Malaysia to end up a kleptocracy, kakistocracy and failed state,” he said.

While PH has agreed to work with Ismail’s government toward achieving political stability and reform, other opposition parties such as Sabah-based Warisan, Dr Mahathir Mohamad-led Pejuang and youth party Muda have yet to formalise their support.

The MOU has six thrusts, which are to strengthen the country’s Covid-19 plan, facilitate institutional transformation, reform Parliament, enable judiciary independence, follow through on Malaysia Agreement 1963, and balanced representation of opposition and government in select committees for checks and balances.

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

They are to enact an anti-party hopping law, enforce Undi18 and automatic voter registration, and set a term limit of 10 years for the prime minister.

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

In exchange for the fulfilment of its demands, PH has agreed not to vote against Ismail in a confidence motion to guarantee his remaining in office which he holds by a wafer-thin majority. – September 17, 2021.