KUALA LUMPUR: The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih 2.0) steering committee has proposed three options for the prime minister to end the current political crisis.
"First, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin should table and get a motion of confidence for his government if it fails to push through Budget 2021 at the Dewan Rakyat in November.
"Alternatively (if he fails to command a majority), the Parliament can pass a motion of confidence for another MP to be the new PM.
"If no motion of confidence can be passed for either the PM or any other MP, a Confidence and Supply Agreement (CSA) involving parties representing a majority of parliamentarians will be needed to avoid a snap poll," it said in a statement today.
The coalition also lauded Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah's decree on Oct 25 that there is no need to declare a state of Emergency for the country at the moment.
"Bersih 2.0 welcomes the Malay Rulers' judgement that emergency is not necessary in combating Covid-19, as most Malaysians would agree.
"The government's abortive self-coup is cynically driven by its fear of budget defeat, but a proclamation of emergency provided under Article 150(1) is only for security, economic life and public order, and does not cover the Prime Minister's job security," it said.
Bersih 2.0 affirmed that parliamentarians must have the freedom to vote down a budget as it is their legitimate right under the Federal Constitution.
Suppose the government's budget is defeated and no parliamentarians clears through a motion of confidence, Bersih 2.0 believes the CSA can chart a new way forward for the country's political stability.
"CSA will allow the government's budget to be improved by the opposition parliamentarians and to be more prudent, effective and inclusive when no sector and community should be overlooked in our battle against Covid-19.
"CSA should serve the basis to end political enmity and machination through necessary reforms such as parliamentary reform, recall elections, equal constituency allocation for all MPs and separation of Public Prosecution Office from the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC)," it said.
Meanwhile, the coalition also urged Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to play his part as the King's loyal opposition and pursue a CSA unless he can assemble a majority with names and prove this in parliament.
This, it said, is crucial for the CSA to ensure a prudent, effective and inclusive Budget 2021 as well as to implement parliamentary, electoral, political finance, institutional and prosecutorial reforms.