KOTA KINABALU: Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) can continue to serve the people even without signing the Pakatan Harapan (PH) - federal Government Memorandum of Understanding (Mou), said its president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.
He stressed the Sabah based party has no problem working together with the Government to help the people, but it did not require having to sign any memorandum.
He said serving the people is a priority and should not be limited only in areas where the signatories of the MoU are present.
"There should not be any barrier when it concerns helping the people because Warisan didn't sign.
"Let us help everyone in this country who needs aid and not just food, but safety and job opportunities.
"The MoU should not be a prerequisite to help people in Malaysia. It is also unnecessary to sign the MoU in order to carry out reforms in this country. Let's have more transparency in parliament," he said in a statement.
He was commenting on the statement by DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang who urged opposition parties like Warisan, Pejuang and pro-tem Muda to sign the MoU between Pakatan Harapan and the federal Government.
The MoU was signed by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and senior leaders of PH such as PKR president and opposition leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Other signatories were DAP secretary-general, Lim Guan Eng, Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) president, Mohamad Sabu and UPKO president, Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau.
Shafie, who is also Semporna member of parliament, further explained that the opposition's role as check and balance to the government would be weakened if the MoU approach was used.
He added in time of Covid-19, no other countries used such a mechanism with the opposition for a political 'ceasefire'.
"Why should there be pressure on Warisan and other members of parliament to sign the MoU?" he asked.
"What is most important is the people. It shouldn't be that one has to sign the MoU first and then the people will get help. That is not serving the rakyat. That is serving political interests," he said.
The MoU on Political Stability and Transformation between the government and PH was inked on Sept 13.
The six-point MoU, which has been agreed to be non-confidential and made public, covers the areas of strengthening the plan to fight Covid-19, the transformation of the administration, Parliamentary reforms, ensuring judicial independence, the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and formation of a steering committee.
Among other things, the government agreed not to dissolve Parliament before July 31, 2022, and PH agreed to support or abstain from voting for the 2022 Budget and the supply or finance laws related to the 2022 Budget, while the process of drafting the bills be negotiated and mutually agreed upon.