KUALA LUMPUR: Two-term Pasir Gudang member of parliament Hassan Abdul Karim has expressed disappointment with the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by coalitions supporting the unity government, particularly the clause that prohibits MPs from voting based on their conscience in Parliament.
The senior Johor PKR leader, a loyalist of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, said the signing of the MoU was a death knell for the parliamentary privileges and rights of representatives elected by the people, who did not expect that their MPs would be told what to do in Parliament.
He said though he disagreed with the clause, he would support the prime minister in tomorrow's vote of confidence in the Dewan Rakyat.
He said this was not only because Anwar was his friend and comrade-in-arms in the Reformasi movement, but also because he was confident Anwar would bring political and economic stability.
"I will vote on all matters in the Dewan Rakyat according to my conscience.
"Prohibiting me from deciding what is best for the rakyat is a violation (of my rights).
"As for the confidence vote, I will vote in favour of Anwar as he is the best man for the job," Free Malaysia Today quoted him as saying.
Leaders of five coalitions signed the MoU on Friday in support of the unity government led by Anwar.
Anwar had said he would test his "majority support" in the Dewan Rakyat tomorrow through a vote of confidence.
One of the clauses in the MoU stipulates that MPs who fail to toe the line set by their parties and vote against the prime minister or the government would be deemed to have resigned as MPs.
The clause said these MPs' seats would then be considered as vacated under Article 49A(1) of the Federal Constitution.
Hassan, a lawyer who began his career in politics with Parti Rakyat Malaysia, said he joined PKR after Anwar was sacked as deputy prime minister by then prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 1998 to reform the country's politics, which he considered to be authoritarian in nature.
"This is why I am against the MoU as it seems authoritarian. It curtails the freedom of choice guaranteed in the Federal Constitution.
"I am against any move that appears to take our parliamentary democracy several steps backwards."