Dr M: Pejuang not invited to be part of govt-Harapan MOU

Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang) was not invited to be part of the government-Pakatan Harapan deal, said party chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Speaking to reporters in Langkawi today, Mahathir also insinuated that the deal was a form of corruption.

“At the time, we were not invited to discuss the matter. Even if we were, just to get something out of it, it is unsuitable (for us) because there’s an element of corruption.

“(Harapan is saying) we will support you if you give this and that to us. (Pejuang) cannot accept this,” said Mahathir.

Yesterday, DAP central committee member Lim Kit Siang urged Pejuang, Warisan and Muda to support the Memorandum of Understanding on Transformation and Political Stability inked on Sept 13.

The deal involved Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob promising a long list of Parliamentary and administrative reforms. Ismail Sabri also promised to consult Harapan on Budget 2022 and to table a law to discourage elected lawmakers from defecting.

In exchange, Harapan pledged, with conditions, not to topple Ismail Sabri through Parliament and support his Budget 2022 bill.

Harapan said they are not offering blank cheque support for Ismail Sabri and will continue to play the role of opposition.

Warisan and Pejuang have been on-and-off again allies with Harapan since the first of two mid-term change of government occurred in Feb 2020.

Warisan too has rejected the MOU on grounds that Harapan was backing Ismail Sabri, whose government was made up of MPs who did not respect the mandate given to Harapan during the 2018 elections.

However, some Harapan leaders, including Lim, have argued that the reforms on the table were too good to pass up.

Meanwhile, Mahathir said Pejuang will remain independent in the Dewan Rakyat and will thus not be bound to any group.

“We can talk to them, but we are not bound (by their decisions),” he said.