KUALA LUMPUR — PAS rejects the draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) by the government on parliamentary allocations because it is “deceptive” and “colonialist”, party president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang said.
The MoU is drafted by a government that depends on revenue obtained through “haram” sources, he said, naming corruption, gabling and other vices.
The government also practices “economic colonialism” with entities such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and global investment firm BlackRock Inc, he told PAS delegates at the party’s muktamar today.
He lamented how governments had ignored the “halal” and “haram” concept in the pursuit of revenue, and said this made countries “independent on the name only” as they still depended on “colonisers” for their economies.
“This is what is ruling our country.
“This is why PAS rejected the MoU offered by the Madani-branded government which is against the ‘tabii’ (norm) that follows democratic principles that are in line with Islam which emphasises fairness and (prohibits) deception in making agreements,” said Hadi in his winding-up speech to close the party’s 70th annual assembly in Temerloh, Pahang.
Earlier today, Perikatan Nasional (PN) secretary-general and opposition leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin announced that the bloc had unanimously rejected the draft MoU.
Opposition MPs are of the view the MoU carried conditions that “contravenes the Federal Constitution” with “several conditions that could affect the special privileges of the Malays and Bumiputera”.
Hamzah also said that the draft agreement contains conditions that could stifle the free speech and immunity enjoyed by MPs in speaking up on public interest issues, besides lacking a clear mechanism for the disbursement of funds.
Yesterday, PN chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the draft MoU is “unusual and complicated”, and that PN MPs felt it showed no genuine intention to help them.
In his speech today, Hadi also lamented that PAS-led Kelantan and Terengganu were denied their petroleum royalty, and quipped that Kedah and Perlis only had gamat (sea cucumber) oil.
He argued that Putrajaya should be testing the abilities of the four PAS-led state governments to self-administer and “not restrict” them.
“This is democracy, where we are asking through peaceful, proper ways and in accordance with the concept of federalism.
The PN-led states, dubbed the “state government four” or SG4, have set up a company to share their wealth with each other.
Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who serves as an adviser to SG4, reportedly said that this initiative aims to collectively advance these states as they are not faring as well as others economically.
He said that each of these four states will hold a 25% stake in the company, registered under the name SG4 Group Sdn Bhd. – September 15, 2024
