KUALA LUMPUR: The Perikatan Nasional (PN) government should test its majority in the Dewan Rakyat by bringing up the motion of confidence submitted by members of parliament instead of pursuing an emergency proclamation.
Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (Barisan Nasional-Bagan Datuk) today called on the government to make the vote of confidence a priority, adding that an emergency declaration should not be considered as an option.
"This House is the perfect stage for this country to remain stable politically - whether there's a motion of no-confidence or otherwise, it must be tested in this House.
"If it cannot be done due to constraints in the order of the meeting, then something must be made suitable and government matters must be prioritised.
"The emergency proclamation is not an option. If there's an effort to propose an emergency declaration for the whole country then it is compulsory for all members of this House to reject it.
"Let the government itself make it a priority, which is to bring this vote of confidence to this House," he said when debating the 2021 Budget speech today.
Currently, there are two motions of confidence supporting Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin from government backbenchers but the items were listed far down on the Order Paper and unlikely to be heard during the current Parliament sitting which will end on Dec 15.
Zahid said an ideal situation would be to return the mandate to the people by holding elections but considering the current pandemic, the Umno president called on all MPs to unite.
In his budget speech, Zahid also spoke about "political dishonesty", saying sincerity should be proven through actions rather than mere words. He however stopped short from mentioning which political party he was referring to.
"There must be honesty in politics. Honesty is not just about verbal agreement but it is about implementation.
"There shouldn't be questions about who contributes more and who should feel indebted. Honesty is about how 'togetherness' is defined.
"Political tricks need to be put aside. 'Jangan telunjuk lurus, kelingking berkait (no more hidden agenda) and prioritise political honesty."