The Perikatan Nasional government has mooted a confidence and supply agreement with opposition lawmakers to support Budget 2021, said sources, even as it tries to secure the king’s consent to declare a state of emergency.
Sources said negotiations are ongoing with several MPs in the opposition to support the government in the crucial sitting next month.
The Muhyiddin Yassin government is pushing for emergency powers, which could see parliament suspended if it succeeds. But in the event Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah fails to give his consent for an emergency to be declared, PN would need the support of the opposition to retain power in the house.
The Conference of Malay Rulers will meet today to decide on Muhyiddin’s proposal.
A source said the plan was to sell the budget to the MPs as a “unity budget” to “fight the Covid-19 pandemic”.
A confidence and supply agreement (CSA) is an arrangement in a hung parliament in which an opposition party agrees not to vote against a minority government in votes of confidence or budgetary matters but reserves the right to oppose other legislation
An opposition source said a deal under discussion was equal funding for all the constituencies.
“Among the suggestions was to increase the parliamentary allocations as the opposition MPs are getting far less than the PN ones,” the source said.
DAP, Amanah and Warisan have been approached for a deal.
DAP Senator Liew Chin Tong said Muhyiddin had the option of pursuing a supply and confidence deal instead of emergency powers.
“There are actually tools for the government to function properly in a parliamentary democracy.
“Even if you do not have a majority, one can still rule as a minority government with ‘confidence and supply’ agreements with opposition parties,” said Liew on his blog yesterday.
The former Kluang MP said the government could barter for support for its budget bill in exchange for certain considerations.
Meanwhile, Bersih 2.0 has urged Muhyiddin to reach out to the opposition lawmakers in the form of a CSA if the Prime Minister is convinced that the government would lose support from its backbenchers on the 2021 Budget.
Muhyiddin, said Bersih 2.0, should reach out to opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim before Budget day for the CSA. The 2021 Budget is scheduled to be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat on Nov 6.
“If Muhyiddin is convinced that he will lose support from some of the government members of Parliament on the budget, then he must demonstrate the maturity and courage to reach out to the official opposition before Budget Day,” Bersih 2.0 steering committee said in a statement today.
Bersih 2.0 added that such a move may necessitate certain reforms, including parliamentary reform, election reforms and other institutional reforms and equal funding for all MPs as well as opposition’s input to make the budget more inclusive and prudent and to prevent similar political impasse from happening again in future.
It said that a Muhyiddin-PH combine would have 204 votes at the maximum from the CSA and could also afford defections.
The coalition added that minority governments in countries from the United Kingdom, Denmark and Canada had seen their annual budgets passed with the backing of their respective nation’s opposition parties.
“As Malaysia’s permanent coalition model is disintegrating, the CSA is a new norm that present administration should try to embrace.
“If Muhyiddin insists on not having a CSA bill with the official opposition, then the Pagoh MP must resign if his budget is defeated.
“Malaysia will not have to go for a snap poll or risk not having a budget, as the House (Dewan Rakyat) can pass a vote of confidence into another MP to form a new government and to continue with the budget.
“Even if the prime minister leads only a minority government, he or she can humbly seek a CSA with opposition parties,” read the statement.
Bersih 2.0 also said an emergency proclamation is a self-coup to subvert parliamentary democracy.
“It is unconstitutional because Article 150 (of the Federal Constitution) only permits it for ‘imminent danger that threatens the security, or the economic life, or public order’.
“Government survival is not a permissible ground. It is irresponsible, counter-productive and in fact ‘(threatening) economic life’ by causing panic and crash in markets, chasing away investments, inviting international sanctions, hence, driving up unemployment and hurting ordinary people’s struggle to put food on the table and pay bills.”
Bersih 2.0 added that such a move would also magnify the political crisis by dragging Istana Negara into partisan conflicts, as the Proclamation has to be issued by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.