KUALA LUMPUR: Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin should reach out to the opposition lawmakers in the form of a Confidence and Supply Agreement (CSA), if the Prime Minister is convinced that the government would loose support from its backbenchers on the 2021 Budget to be tabled in next month's Dewan Rakyat sitting.
The proposal by the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih 2.0) steering committee for the CSA comes amid speculation that the Perikatan Nasional government is mulling over a state of emergency declaration, which would also entail proroguing Parliament.
Muhyiddin, said Bersih 2.0, should reach out to opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim before Budget day for the CSA. The 2021 Budget is scheduled to be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat on Nov 6.
"If Muhyiddin is convinced that he will lose support from some of the government members of Parliament on the budget, then he must demonstrate the maturity and courage to reach out to the official opposition before Budget Day," Bersih 2.0 steering committee said in a statement today.
Bersih 2.0 added that such a move may necessitate certain reforms including parliamentary reform, election reforms and other institutional reforms and equal funding for all MPs as well as opposition's input to make the budget more inclusive and prudent and to prevent similar political impasse from happening again in future.
It said that a Muhyiddin-PH combine would have 204 votes at the maximum from the CSA and could also afford defections.
The coalition added that minority governments in countries from the United Kingdom, Denmark and Canada had seen their annual budgets passed with the backing of their respective nation's opposition parties.
"As Malaysia's permanent coalition model is disintegrating, the CSA is a new norm that present administration should try to embrace.
"If Muhyiddin insists on not having a CSA bill with the official opposition, then the Pagoh MP must resign if his budget is defeated.
"Malaysia will not have to go for a snap poll or risk not having a budget, as the House (Dewan Rakyat) can pass a vote of confidence into another MP to form a new government and to continue with the budget.
"Even if the prime minister leads only a minority government, he or she can humbly seek a CSA with opposition parties," read the statement.
Bersih 2.0 also said an emergency proclamation is a self-coup to subvert parliamentary democracy.
"It is unconstitutional because Article 150 (of the Federal Constitution) only permits it for 'imminent danger that threatens the security, or the economic life, or public order'.
"Government survival is not a permissible ground. It is irresponsible, counter-productive and in fact '(threatening) economic life' by causing panic and crash in markets, chasing away investments, inviting international sanctions, hence, driving up unemployment and hurting ordinary people's struggle to put food on the table and pay bills."
Bersih 2.0 added that such a move would also magnify the political crisis by dragging Istana Negara into partisan conflicts, as the Proclamation has to be issued by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.