Malaysia is not likely to go to the polls for at least another year after a historic bipartisan deal was signed between the Malaysian government and its main opposition bloc, Pakatan Harapan (PH), during a parliamentary ceremony on Monday.
Prime Minister (PM) Ismail Sabri Yaakob and several administration members signed the deal with Anwar Ibrahim, the president of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), shortly after the Lower House convened under the new PM’s administration for the first time. The House of Representatives will meet for 17 days until October 12, while the Senate will meet from October 4 to October 26.
The watershed deal outlines that the parliament will not be dissolved before August 2022, meaning the politically volatile country will not face a general election for at least another year, the PKR’s communications director, Fahmi Fadzil, told The Straits Times. Several opposition leaders also confirmed these reports.
Additionally, the deal, which is called the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Transformation and Political Stability, focuses on six key areas of reform, including the transformation of administration, empowering the parliament, and strengthening the independence of the judiciary.
In a statement, PM Ismail said, “The ‘Malaysian Family’ spirit stresses unity, camaraderie and togetherness. This has manifested itself in the MoU between the government and (Harapan) this evening.” He noted that the government “is confident that this agreement will not only put aside all political differences” but would enable “national recovery holistically and with inclusivity.”
Meanwhile, King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah welcomed the bipartisan cooperation in his royal decree at the parliament. “I welcome and appreciate efforts towards realising a new approach, a dual-partisan cooperation involving all sides, that will build a new political landscape and bring changes in the country’s administrative system,” he said. “Maturity like this is what the people want,” the King added.
Furthermore, he asked the new government to step up efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. “With a high-performance work culture and a focus on short-term and long-term goals, I believe this government can prove its early achievement in 100 days. Moving ahead, I advise all sides to practise deliberative democracy in finding solutions to all problems,” he said.
The finalisation of the deal comes after PM Ismail and the main opposition coalition announced a breakthrough in talks for a confidence-and-supply agreement (CSA) on Sunday. The historic deal is expected to pave the way for Malaysia’s political stability and institutional reforms.
Malaysian Government Signs Historic Bipartisan Deal With Opposition
Due to a historic bipartisan deal signed between the Malaysian government and the main opposition bloc on Monday, the country is not expected to go back to the polls for at least another year.
September 14, 2021
Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob (seated, fourth from right) inking the cooperation deal with Pakatan Harapan on Sept 13, 2021. SOURCE: PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE, MALAYSIA