KUALA LUMPUR: The memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the government and Pakatan Harapan will not be automatically terminated despite the defeat of a government-sponsored motion in the Dewan Rakyat, says Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar (pic).

       The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Parliament and Law said under Paragraph 3.3(b) of the MOU, any government motion or law had to be discussed and agreed upon by both government and opposition MPs.

       As such, he said the cooperation of both parties was important for the success of a motion or a Bill.

       “I believe that in relation to Clause 4.1 of the MOU, the MOU will not end automatically if a government motion is not supported,” he said.

       He added that other clauses in the MOU stated that any government motion or Bills were open for discussion between both the government and the Opposition.

       “This means that if there is a contradiction, for example, as what had happened (in the Dewan Rakyat) yesterday (Wednesday), the MOU will not be automatically terminated.

       “It will be terminated when both parties agree to terminate the MOU,” he said in his speech during the winding-up debate on the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2022 in the Dewan Rakyat here yesterday.

       On Wednesday, the government’s motion to continue with the powers to detain suspects for up to 28 days without trial under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma), was defeated in the Dewan Rakyat.

       It was reported that 84 MPs voted for and 86 against while 50 MPs were absent after the Opposition called for a bloc vote on the motion tabled by Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin.

       However, yesterday Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun said the vote recount revealed that the motion was defeated by a single vote with Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh (BN-Besut) being mistakenly marked as absent when votes were being tallied.

       Azhar said the new count was 85 for and 86 against, with 49 MPs absent.

       Pakatan Harapan chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the Opposition’s rejection of the Sosma Bill was not a contravention of its MOU with the government.

       “As explained by some MPs, the motion is not a part of the MOU between the government and Pakatan.

       “Therefore, the rejection of the motion does not (have) any effect on the MOU,” he posted on Facebook on Wednesday night.

       The Port Dickson MP said although he was under quarantine after testing positive for Covid-19, he had been following proceedings in the Dewan Rakyat.

       DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook also said the rejection of a motion does not contravene the MOU.

       In a Facebook post on Wednesday, he said the decision by Pakatan MPs to vote against the extension of Sosma for another five years does not threaten the MOU at all.