KUALA LUMPUR: Opposition leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin said he is open to discussion with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to iron out issues surrounding the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the allocation for opposition members of Parliament.
"If he tells me, 'What is wrong? Let's sit down and discuss if there are indeed unfavourable elements in the MoU that we need to address.
"If someone is gentle, I can be even more gentle.
"As such, this (the discussion) is something we should do together," he said during the debate on the 2025 Budget in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Hamzah (PN - Larut) added that the MoU must be fair and that it should not be seen as a tool that 'binds' anyone's hands.
"When we read the MoU, it feels as if we are being pressured to follow everything the government demands in order to receive something (allocation) and that is not fair.
"There should not be pressure on the opposition to comply with every demand of the government.
"Isn't it the role of the opposition to serve as a check and balance on the government?"
It was reported that PN had rejected two proposed MoUs from the government concerning MP allocations in September.
In rejecting the MoUs, Hamzah had said that both MoUs—one between the Government of Malaysia and PN, and the other between the government and PN MPs—were unanimously turned down due to several concerns.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, in response, rejected Hamzah's claim by providing proof to counter the allegations made by the opposition leader. (reference: https://www.nst.com.my/news/politics/2024/09/1106434/updated-dpm-fadilla...)