KOTA BARU: Perikatan Nasional (PN) is planning to meet Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to discuss the financial allocations for its Members of Parliament.
PN chief whip Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan said he and the coalition's opposition leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin planned to meet the Prime Minister if the issue could not be solved following a recent meeting with Anwar's deputy Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.
"We have met the deputy prime minister during the fasting month to discuss the issue and were informed that we (the opposition's MPs) need to make an official application for the allocation.
"There is no need for us to submit the application as the money had already been allocated for us as approved in the last Budget.
"The allocation is not for us, the Opposition MPs. It is for the people's welfare and for development purposes," said the Kota Baru MP at his parliamentary's Hari Raya open house here today.
Last week, deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said he was still waiting for an official application from the opposition bloc to discuss the issue of financial allocations for its Members of Parliament.
Fadillah said although he had met Pas secretary general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan recently regarding the matter, it was an unofficial meeting.
"I have told them (Perikatan Nasional) to make an offer (application) in black and white. As long as we (the Madani government) haven't received an official letter, there won't be any negotiations.
"You have to remember that during the time of the Keluarga Malaysia government, a memorandum of understanding was signed, and negotiations were held. It's just like asking for one's hand in marriage — how to discuss when there is no offer?" he said.
Fadillah, who is also the Petra Jaya MP, was earlier reported as saying that Takiyuddin had been asked to submit the opposition's proposal in writing, so that the two sides could enter into negotiations.
He has not set a time frame for Takiyuddin to submit the proposal.
PN has appointed its secretary general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, Bersatu vice-president and Putrajaya MP Datuk Dr Mohd Radzi Md Jidin, and Takiyuddin to hold talks with the government on the matter.