Opposition leader Jahara Hamid (BN-Telok Ayer Tawar) said their silence during the call for vote last night should not be construed as a “yay”.

She went on to describe the motion on reclamation put forth by Chow Kon Yeow (DAP-Padang Kota) as a copy of what Umno had proposed in the assembly last year.

“This goes to show our usul (motion) was credible. This is a moral victory for us.

“Anyhow, we would like to categorically state that we did not support the new motion.

“Our silence does not mean it is a yes or a no. It is basically a sign of no support,” Jahara said at a press conference outside the assembly chambers.

When queried if the motion passed was different from the one the BN was supposed to propose earlier last night, Jahara said: “It is the same with slight differences.”

She then explained that since the motion was initially mooted by BN, they would not let DAP take credit for it.

Meanwhile, Muhammad Farid Saad (BN-Pulau Betong), who had been scheduled to propose his motion on the reclamation issue earlier in the assembly, said he withdrew it at the last minute as he was worried about the “DAP amendments” to his original motion.

“If he (Chow) pinda (amends) it, then I would not know what they are doing,” he said without elaborating.

(A similar motion on reclamation that he brought to the assembly at the last sitting last year was rejected during voting.)

Earlier, it was reported that the ruling bloc had agreed to alter parts of Farid’s original motion, with his consultation and with mediation from Speaker Law in the latter’s chambers.

Law, when queried about the Opposition’s claims, said their silence equated to a “yay”.

“When (during the vote) I asked those in favour of the motion, nearly the entire floor said ‘yes’.

“So long as there is no objection, it is a ‘yes’.

“I say this is probably their interpretation of what took place. But for me, it was unanimous,” he told FMT.

Related story: Both Pakatan and BN reps support motion on land reclamation