POLITICALLY FRANK: ‘PH in no hurry for GE15’ - says DAP's sec-gen Loke

14 Jul 2022 09:00am

DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke says the MoU will not end on 31 July as there are still reforms not delivered by the present government.

SHAH ALAM - DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke said Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is not in favor of continuing the memorandum of understanding (MoU) as the party look at ways to dissolve the Parliament for the 15th general elections (GE15).

However, Loke said, Pakatan Harapan (PH) is not in a hurry to hold polls as the rakyat comes first.

“As far as we are concerned, we are not in a hurry. The rakyat comes first and elections later.

“We still have another year before the parliamentary term ends. We want to focus on delivering the reforms (signed in MoU) that the country needs,” he told Sinar Daily.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and the Pakatan Harapan Coalition had signed a MoU last September to ensure political stability after the sudden collapse of two prime ministers - Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

The MoU ends on July 31. Loke had proposed MoU 2.0.

Asked on whether MoU 2.0 will take place, he said it should not be a question as the first MoU will not end on July 31 as expected.

“The government will not dissolve Parliament on July 31 as there are (still) a few items in the MoU that are not delivered yet by the government. We are holding the government accountable,” he said.

Loke also said that PH remains unhappy with the measures taken by Ismail Sabri to fight the rising cost of living as "more needs to be done" to ensure food security and food prices.

“However, I think more needs to be done and just setting up a committee against the inflation is not enough," he said referring to the government's Jihad Against Inflation taskforce.

“(I think) the PM must be on top of it, if necessary, there must be weekly meetings to be checked by the PM on the issue of cost of living,” he added.

DAP's Bangi MP Ong Kian Ming said introducing an “MoU 2.0” would push GE15 to July next year and enable the government to introduce more progressive reforms, such as those suggested by electoral reform group Bersih.

In March, Loke requested an extension to the MoU on the condition that Ismail Sabri to fulfil all of the agreement's terms.

However, his suggestion was rejected, with Umno stating that the MoU should not be extended beyond July.