ANWAR Ibrahim has won the vote of confidence in the Dewan Rakyat and will continue to lead the country as prime minister.

It was passed through a voice vote with backbenchers shouting out their support for Anwar while the opposition remained silent.

They did not ask for a bloc vote or for members to indicate their support for Anwar.

The vote came after Anwar had pledged to subject himself to a motion of confidence in the Dewan Rakyat.

The motion was earlier tabled by Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof with 12 MPs debating it and at times, it became boisterous.

The backbenchers’ recurring point was that the unity government wanted to legitimise its rule and prove that it had the numbers in the House.

They also said the move would not only legitimise Anwar’s leadership but also provide much needed political stability to drive the nation’s economy forward.

Former finance minister Johari Ghani (Titiwangsa-Barisan Nasional) said it was crucial to ensure the government serves a full term and work on growing the economy.

He noted that Malaysia risked falling further behind Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand in terms of economic development.

“We have wasted time with three prime ministers in the last four years and have fallen behind our regional neighbours,” he told the chamber.

The opposition felt there was no need for the motion as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong had already given his consent to it.

They also reiterated that the government was not a unity government but a coalition government and questioned the validity of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by the coalition partners.

Takiyuddin Hassan (Kota Bharu-Perikatan Nasional) said the MOU was a direct violation of article 10 of the Federal Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech, and article 63(2), which provides that no MP shall be liable to any court proceedings in respect of anything said or any vote cast when taking part in any proceedings in the House.

He said the MOU also contravened article 49A of the Constitution, adding that there was no legal provision stipulating that government MPs who do not toe the party line will have to vacate their seats. – December 19, 2022.