PETALING JAYA: Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) should question its own MPs for not participating in the vote on the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) instead of blaming Umno, says Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan.

       Ahmad, who is Umno secretary-general and Pontian MP, said several of his party's members had valid reasons for being absent during the vote in Parliament on Wednesday (March 23).

       Speaking to Utusan Malaysia recently, Ahmad said he was absent as he had been told that there would not be a vote while his colleague, Pekan MP Datuk Seri Najib Razak, was in court.

       "(Bersatu secretary-general and Home Minister) Hamzah Zainudin needs to ask where were Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (Pagoh MP and Bersatu president) and Datuk Seri Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof (Alor Gajah MP and Bersatu supreme council member)?

       "If those two had voted, the motion would have been passed.

       "So blame Bersatu. Why blame Umno?" said Ahmad.

       Two days after the vote, Hamzah had told the press that some MPs were absent from the vote because they "did not like my face".

       He then argued that the MPs he was referring to were present during the debate on the motion but absent during the vote, which was defeated with 85 yeas and 86 nays.

       This was the first time in Parliament’s history that a government matter was voted down.

       49 MPs were absent during the vote. Barisan and Perikatan Nasional each had 13 absentees.

       Hamzah’s motion sought the permission of Parliament to extend Sosma's 28-day detention without trial for another five years.

       Currently, the provision allowing for detention without trial is set to expire on July 31.

       Hamzah has said he will retable the motion.