KUALA LUMPUR: The memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the government and Pakatan Harapan must end by July 31, insists Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan (pic).There was no need to continue it until the general election is called, he said at the party headquarters yesterday.

       “We can just bulldoze it (through),” he said, claiming that Pakatan had already violated the MOU last month when it voted against the government’s motion to extend a provision in the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) for another five years.

       “If we look at the clauses of the MOU, they need to support the motion, but they didn’t do so,” said the Pontian MP.

       Ahmad said the MOU had been signed to address the Covid-19 pandemic and to improve the economy and it was no longer needed.

       “Now, we are transitioning to endemicity and our economy is recovering.

       “Based on that, we no longer need MOU 2.0,” he added.

       The MOU was signed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and heads of Pakatan component parties at the Parliament House in September last year.

       However, Umno, the lynchpin of Barisan Nasional, wants the 15th general election to be held soon following the coalition’s landslide victories in the Melaka and Johor state elections.

       The Umno supreme council last week decided that the MOU should not be extended.

       Ahmad also claimed that Pakatan wanted to renew the MOU to get access to allocations.

       “It is not an empty MOU, it comes with allocations. That is why they are angry (it is coming to an end),” he added.

       He said he also believes the Prime Minister would abide by the decision made by the party’s supreme council.