'We are ready to bridge political gaps through MoU negotiations' - Bersih

SHAH ALAM - In a groundbreaking move, the electoral watchdog group Bersih is urging the establishment of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to facilitate discussions between the government and opposition on critical political issues.

Its chairman Muhammad Faisal Abdul Aziz has expressed the organisation's willingness to engage in negotiations with both the government and opposition parties, positioning itself as a mediator to address unresolved political issues.

"One of Bersih's demands is to establish a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), and for this, Bersih is open to holding negotiations with both the government and the opposition.

"Bersih is ready to act as a mediator if there are political issues that may not be resolved between the government and the opposition," he told reporters when met at Karangkraf Group complex here yesterday.

Highlighting the importance of a non-partisan approach, Faisal said that Bersih's commitment extends beyond building bridges with one particular political party.

Instead, the organisation strives to foster positive relationships with all parties, transcending political affiliations.

"This inclusive stance extends to states controlled by different parties, promoting a holistic and collaborative approach to political discourse.

"The time has come for the government and the opposition to sit down together, to negotiate and score this electoral reform without any issues, ensuring its enforcement," he stressed.

Faisal further said that Bersih calls for a joint effort between the government and oppositions to amend laws related to the allocation of constituency victories.

He said Bersih insisted that the parliamentary constituency allocation should be impartial, benefiting all parliamentarians, irrespective of their political alignment.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was met with criticisms from opposition MPs following them not getting an equal allocation for development purposes in their constituencies.

Following this, Anwar told the opposition to be specific in their statements, as the federal government had provided allocations to allow PN states to be further developed.

He also cited the increase in allocation for PN-led states granted by the government, namely the increase for the flood mitigation programme in Kelantan.